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Original poster

AIBU to think Kemi’s speech showed real leadership potential?

155 replies

Whysnothingsimple · 13/05/2026 15:38

Just listening to her speech. She’s badass, seems to know and understand the mood of the country - she could very well be this country’s saviour from extremism and bankruptcy

OP posts:
Naunet · 13/05/2026 19:52

She's the first politician I've liked in a very long time

LemonyCurd · 13/05/2026 19:51

She’s fantastic. Always has been. Glad people are starting to notice.

Ladyymuck · 13/05/2026 19:45

I’ve never voted Tory but do like Kemi. I think she has great leadership qualities and as you say seems to really get the mood of the voters. I was ready to vote Conservative last week but didn’t want to vote for our candidate not that my votes would have made any difference

Jibaka · 13/05/2026 19:39

Kemi is an exceptional speaker IMO. Clever and funny. She is miles better than Starmer, who is very disappointing.

If there were only lab and con in the mix, I think Kemi would have a much higher profile. However, we have loud extremists (reform and green) and they have mopped up a lot of the support that Labour has lost. I’m not sure people have the appetite to re-elect conservatives at this time. And I think that we are probably too racist and sexist to elect a black woman unfortunately.

Clarabell77 · 13/05/2026 19:30

MiaKulper · 13/05/2026 16:15

I don't like her politics but I think she's a good politician.
She's not a leader though. Her party doesn't like her, the media doesn't like her and the voters don't like her.

People want a Boris or a Nigel or a Tony.

Her party doesn't like her, the media doesn't like her and the voters don't like her.

Yet you think she’s a good politician? In what way?

ilovesooty · 13/05/2026 19:27

Upstartled · 13/05/2026 19:20

She won the party leadership over Jenrick because she was favoured by the membership.

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She won it because Cleverly's supporters messed up.

Walkyrie · 13/05/2026 19:27

Lou7171 · 13/05/2026 19:16

The Tories aren't centrist.

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Yes they are. They don’t want the death penalty, they don’t promote willy nilly gun ownership, they don’t want to make being LGBT illegal, in fact didn’t they introduce gay marriage? Their taxes are high. What part of them is very right wing?

ChicPlayer · 13/05/2026 19:25

Why do so many people refer to politicians by their first name? Are they totally unaware of convention?

Badenoch isn't a great leader or a good politician, quite the opposite. She's terrible. I don't think anyone seriously imagines she'll ever be PM. If the Tories had any sense they'd return to the pre-Thatcher centre right and let Labour shift over to the centre left. But no. They all want to try and outdo Reform. If we get a far right government next time the blame will be firmly with Starmer and Badenoch and anyone who voted for them to lead their respective parties in the full knowledge that they're both absolute duds.

Walkyrie · 13/05/2026 19:24

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 13/05/2026 19:16

I wondered that. The Tories are fine with women in theory but they must be white apparently 🙄

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Rishi Sunak?

ZenNudist · 13/05/2026 19:24

She's William Hague. She's not even IDS or Portillo. I'm sure the Tories will eventually bounce back (to fuck the country all over again) but it won't be thanks to KB.

Upstartled · 13/05/2026 19:20

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 13/05/2026 19:16

I wondered that. The Tories are fine with women in theory but they must be white apparently 🙄

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She won the party leadership over Jenrick because she was favoured by the membership.

curliegirlie · 13/05/2026 19:19

nomas · 13/05/2026 19:15

Reform take grifters of any race.

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Yup, in the patch of NW London where I used to live, most of the Reform candidates last week were Asian….

EasternStandard · 13/05/2026 19:19

Upstartled · 13/05/2026 19:14

Well enough that she is currently more popular than all the other male, white party leaders.

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Yep

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 13/05/2026 19:16

shortsaint · 13/05/2026 19:12

She doesn’t have a chance - she’s a woman, black - how would this sit in Middle England? Really?

And the implication she could join Racist Reform is preposterous!

I am no Tory but I do wish they would get their act together though.

I wondered that. The Tories are fine with women in theory but they must be white apparently 🙄

Lou7171 · 13/05/2026 19:16

Whysnothingsimple · 13/05/2026 16:36

centre politics is currently out of favour

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The Tories aren't centrist.

nomas · 13/05/2026 19:15

shortsaint · 13/05/2026 19:12

She doesn’t have a chance - she’s a woman, black - how would this sit in Middle England? Really?

And the implication she could join Racist Reform is preposterous!

I am no Tory but I do wish they would get their act together though.

Reform take grifters of any race.

Upstartled · 13/05/2026 19:14

shortsaint · 13/05/2026 19:12

She doesn’t have a chance - she’s a woman, black - how would this sit in Middle England? Really?

And the implication she could join Racist Reform is preposterous!

I am no Tory but I do wish they would get their act together though.

Well enough that she is currently more popular than all the other male, white party leaders.

nomas · 13/05/2026 19:14

Upstartled · 13/05/2026 18:03

I don't think that her comments meet the threshold of othering. I think mass prayer in a civic space isn't cricket and, as an atheist, I would say that should be applied equally across the religions. Which was Badenoch's approach.

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She didn’t apply it across the board. There was no objection from her for the massive Easter celebration at Trafalgar Square.

shortsaint · 13/05/2026 19:12

She doesn’t have a chance - she’s a woman, black - how would this sit in Middle England? Really?

And the implication she could join Racist Reform is preposterous!

I am no Tory but I do wish they would get their act together though.

LiviaDrusillaAugusta · 13/05/2026 19:09

I like how she comes across. She’s intelligent and erudite.

hahabahbag · 13/05/2026 19:06

Nope, she’s the woman who wanted us to help Trump, can’t be trusted

MajorLanceYouDontWantMeNoMoreNsoul · 13/05/2026 19:02

noworklifebalance · 13/05/2026 17:55

Tbf, Labour have done plenty off their own back to grind the country down and at some point (say after 2 years in government), they need to start owning it.

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Yes they've effed up in certain areas but Labour cannot magic coppers,soldiers ,nurses,military hardware from thin air conservative party cuts to the above and services aren't going to be turned round in two years.

Upstartled · 13/05/2026 18:51

She said if they were inclusive celebrations, like a festival, that's a different issue to religious ritual in our public spaces. @TemperanceWest

Morepositivemum · 13/05/2026 18:48

I heard someone on the radio talking about Keir starmer and they said he can do the job, but he can’t talk the talk, he can’t rally/ motivate/ bring together through speeches the way others can, but they were wondering would that be his undoing

TemperanceWest · 13/05/2026 18:45

Upstartled · 13/05/2026 18:34

Well, I'll change my view if you can demonstrate that I'm wrong and she had hypocritically defended these mass prayer events in the past and it's not simply based on your hunch and a general dislike for the women.

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Well tbf they never seemed to be a significant issue for anyone until this year, so the need to defend wouldn't have arisen.

Has she said anything negative ever about Vaisakhi in the Square or Diwali in the Square or Chanukah in the Square? The Passion of the Jesus?

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