To find it hilarious Labour claim to be the progressive party when they’ve only ever elected white men for leader

[BooToYouHalloween]

We now have the fourth elected (by the party) female Conservative leader. She is also the first black female leader and second person of colour.

Whereas the Labour Party have never voted in a woman or person of colour to be leader in their history. (Acting leader doesn’t count.) And yet people think they’re the more progressive party. I genuinely find it funny.

it’s blatantly clear what she meant.

How has this country benefitted from non white leaders in the Tory Party?

Women with penises will have maternity rights. That’s fantastic. I fail to see how they're going to use them, or can they feel a baby into existence too.

And meanwhile actual biological women will also have maternity rights from day 1, but let's not mention that, shall we? Because the anti trans is all that really matters.

Err so you think diversity in representation is only important if those people behave in an acceptable way?

So not only is it harder for individuals from those groups to make it to the top, but once they’re there they must conform to higher standards than white males?

Women don't have to have the same politics as you to reach the top though.

They can have a broad range as men do already.

No, they have to conform to common standards of basic human decency. That means looking after the most vulnerable, making policy to benefit everyone and not just the wealthy, and putting country before party. On all of these measures, the current crop of Tories fail, as does Thatcher.

As does Priti Patel, Stella Braverman and Liz Truss.

But she did make it to the top, in power for a long time with two landslide victories

As does this Labour government

Well it certainly makes the argument about progressive politics interesting

I think KB may prove to be quite poplar

I am the parent of two adult disabled children and I have seen what the last government did to disabled and vulnerable people.

Was it not the Tories who kept the entire nation in lockdown for the best part of two years to protect 'vulnerable people'? Children/teens prevented from going to school and seeing their friends in order to 'protect granny' and those with 'co-morbidities'? So I'm genuinely unsure about what you mean...

Well, no, in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter. Labour still hasn't chosen any one of those women to become party leader. Meanwhile, the Tories have had four. You can't just say that detail is 'irrelevant' just because they're not YOUR party of choice.

Just be honest, if Labour suddenly elected a black, female leader, we'd never hear the end of it!

Erm how does that help your argument? If Labour has more female MPs than the Conservatives there should be a greater chance of one being voted in as leader. Yet it hasn't happened. So their failure is greater.

Putting everything else aside, and all things considered, she's a nasty piece of work. As nearly all Tory leaders are.

Labour have the most women in the cabinet of any government and I believe 70% of their MPs are women, they also have the most MPs from ethnic minorities. I think Badenoch is the only black woman in the Conservative party. However am happy to be corrected.

Tories have pulled the greatest stunt ever, getting ethnic minority leaders to cover for their heartless, nasty policies. It's in the same league as getting people to turn on immigrants, whilst then thieving the gold.

Wow.

Kemi wouldn't have stood a chance of becoming leader had the Tories done well and won the election. She isn't the gotcha that women fans of repulsive Tory policies seem to think she is either.

What's the betting readers of the DM rag up the ante now in saying 'Tories should merge with Reform!' As they won't be able to bring themselves to congratulate her

The Glass Cliff awaits her.

Its the quality of the individual that matters, i don't want a mediocre Lab leader who is chosen because of their sex/colour, i want the best person to become PM for our country, be that Lab or Tory.

Perhaps a good enough female candidate hasn't been put forward by Lab? Unions don't seem to have any issue with voting in female leaders, so i don't think its a "woman" problem with them or MPs.

If the Tories had really wanted the best person to lead their party, they'd have chosen Tom Tughenhart, far more mainstream and less divisive than Badenoch, who will not bring back former Tory voters from Reform and def will not attract LD voters, if she cannot do that, then the Cons will be out of power for another 5 years & what will be left of the party then? down to just 121 MPs.....

KB got just 30% of the MP vote, thats who she really needs to lead and she hasn't had a ringing endorsement, so who knows how long she will last?

As i said, its about quality, only Thatcher would have had a chance of passing that test.
The others were useless and very damaging.

What exactly was progressive about Margaret, Liz, Theresa and now Kemi? The chances of Kemi remaining leader for the next four years is slim to none.

The person who is elected to lead a party or a country should be chosen due to their policies, plans and experience.
It is racist to say " oh how clever of a black person "
It is misogynist to say "how clever of a woman to win"
Pathetic.
But if Kamala Harris wins in the the US you know it with all be " how jolly super that black person of all things and a woman as well oh how clever of the little black lady". No doubt capitalising her race - not her sex as that's... troublesome for some.

Well there’s always Diane Abbot waiting in the wings.

What’s that you say, populist?