Kemi Badenoch appointed new Minister for Women and Equalities

She may recognise what a woman is but there is nothing whatsoever to suggest she will protect women's rights. In fact everything in her past suggests quite the opposite.

You seem very angry!

It is widely known she makes many moderate Tories

Badenoch's views are very right wing. This is really not news. The very right wing of the Tory party is pretty extreme. The very left wing of Labour is pretty extreme. Have you really never read a neewspaper or book about UK politics?

@lannistunut there is no "this board", there are only individual posters.

Badenoch is unlikely to support any policies that remove sex based protections for women and girls due to gender identity beliefs. That's a positive. She also holds other views that I vehemently disagree with. Other MPs voted the same way as her on fracking and buffer zones. Including my constituency MP. Is he a right wing nutter too?

Don't be daft. You are talking bollocks. She did extremely well in the leadership race. Where is your evidence that MPs didn't vote for her because they find her "abhorrent"? She is on the right of the Conservative party. That is not the same as being a right wing extremist. Where the fuck is your perspective?

@lannistunut my other political views are irrelevant because I’m a single issue voter. I will hold my nose and vote for whoever vows to protect women’s rights and safeguard children. It’s that important to me. You can’t infer anything else from the fact that I align with Badenoch on the gender issue and I’m pleased to have someone strong and clear in this role.

Yep, this also sums up how I feel about this appointment.

Why? Because we welcome an Equalities Minister who will protect the interests of women and girls? Sorry she fails your purity spiral, I suggest you grow up and learn how to debate rather than throwing groundless insults.

I worry if this board thinks 'would be popular with Tory party members' is a good sign.

Being liked by Tory members is really NOT a sign of general popularity.

Many in the parliamentary party find her views extreme - that is why she got so few nominations. She is of the right.

She's also quite far right. Honestly I'm GC but this obsession with 'what a woman is' shouldn't override absolutely everything else.

I don't agree with the use of 'nutter' or 'nut job' but she is extremely right wing.

She is an MP and a Minister, but that does not mean she is not extreme in some of her views.

@Apollo442 I understand perfectly well. You people are unhinged.

Many in the party find her abhorent and her views are right at the right of the party.

My understanding from the last Conservative leadership race was that she was very popular with Tory members and she may well have done very well if she'd made it to the last 2? Where does your information that "many in the party find her abhorrent" come from?

Of course not everyone who holds different views is monstrous - but Badenoch is.

Of course I think some people hold monstrous views. Do you not dsagree with anyone? I think Badenoch is at the far right end of the Tory party, and that is monstrous to me.

Yes the sooner the view is squashed the better. They should read a bit, try to understand what’s going on.

She’s an MP and minister in the ruling party of the country. Calling her a right wing nut job is neither accurate nor helpful.

Badenoch is absolutely miles from a 'classic Conservative'. Many in the party find her abhorent and her views are right at the right of the party.

Agree with her, that is your choice, but don't lie about where her views are. If you are an extreme right winger, be proud!

We are concerned with women and children's rights NOT trans people. Your lack of understanding is an embarrassment.

'I will never vote Tory so I'm not delighted by anything that's happening now, but given we're stuck with this government pro tem it's good we don't have a TWAW person in the Women and Equalities post. That's about as far as I can go.'

What @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g said.

It's one sliver of light amongst a display of shit.

People who hold different views to you are not monstrous for god sake.

Are your views the only good ones to have? You better list them so we all know what to think. Talk about arrogance!

I don't agree with Kemi on everything (fracking and the buffer zones being two of them) but I can accept that I do not hold the absolute way, truth and light in my head, and don't presume my beliefs and ideas are better than hers. I am pleased she has the women and equalities brief because we won't go backwards whilst she has it.

The level of discourse in the country stands no chance unless people (mainly on the left, right wingers are more comfortable with debate) stop behaving as though there is only one tiny bit of moral high ground and that they have unique possession of it.

Just wondering what people mean when they say "far-right" or "right wing extremist". Kemi Badenoch doesn't seem to quite fit into that category.

Right to Life gives a red/amber/green rating for voting behaviour on abortion - I do not know your anti-abortion/pro-choice position of course, but there is a considerable difference between Mordaunt and Badenoch.

Agreed. This is all I need to know to think this is a shit appointment.

I’m pleased. I think she’s refreshingly honest.
She’s a classic conservative with lots of the views to match. I don’t agree with many of them but I appreciate her not trying to be all things to all people. So many other politicians are demagogues.

I’m not a single issue voter and have never voted Tory but I recognise that tribalism and purity politics gets us nowhere. I can (and do) disagree with Kemi Badenoch on a whole range of issues but still recognise that having someone as WEM who knows what a woman is and has looked seriously at what is going on in women’s prisons and the NHS and recognises it for the horrific abuse of women it is is a good thing.

Tories won’t be calling an election any time soon because they’ll very likely lose, so make the best of what we’ve got for now.