Kemi Badenoch elected as Tory leader

[Locutus2000]

This will be entertaining.

I like her policies around integration and supporting migrants that are settling here, so they integrate properly, It’s desperately needed. She is massively pro business and supports entrepreneurial growth rather than nanny state. I like her support of free markets and her focus no doubt will have to be yet again bailing out the country after this Labour government building to excessive debts again.

I second this.

Let’s see when she wins in a few short years!

To be fair they were all born in the UK so it's not great to assume otherwise

I'm sorry but you haven't. Can you remember what day the programme was on. That would help narrow it down.

It's OK. I have found it. It is the Daily Mail. To save anyone who doesn't want to give the site the clicks it says:

An anonymous post on the British Farming Forum said: 'This morning I found my dad in the barn having taken his own life.
'So afraid of the IHT implications on farms he took his own life rather than see the government take half the farm in IHT.

'As a family, we are devastated and in shock! This is the human cost of government policy or potential government policy.
'They claim to be for the working man, no man worked harder than dad. He increased the acreage from my grandad's day and was proud of what he achieved.'
The author also claimed they believed their father aimed to 'beat the budget by ending his life' and that it is what happens when 'you have built something your entire life and see it robbed from beneath your kids' feet'.
The writer of the post claimed to be publishing anonymously in order to protect their children.
However, the National Farmers Union (NFU) told The Sun it could not confirm whether the claims were true.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14031987/farmer-taken-life-labour-inheritance-tax-rachel-reeves.html

So absolutely nothing to corroborate the story. Nothing.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14031987/farmer-taken-life-labour-inheritance-tax-rachel-reeves.html?ico=article_preview_xp_mobile

I would agree with you that supporting integration with some practical steps, being pro business (SMEs rather than the massive corporates that simply monopolise markets, reduce competition and standards) and supporting free markets (genuine free markets rather than Neoliberal 'supply side economics' and constant can kicking and interference) would be positive things.
However, all I have heard is her making nasty, divisive remarks which suggest that she does not support integration and suggesting that worker's rights should be reduced. I'm more than happy to be proved wrong, but sadly, I suspect that I won't be!

It's a report based on a anonymous post on a forum. Hardly reliable journalism.

However, the National Farmers Union (NFU) told The Sun it could not confirm whether the claims were true.

I’ll add a recent thread on mumsnet also of the IHT policy affecting a posters family personally

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5199306-do-you-need-your-parents-to-die-before-april-2026

It is bloody disgusting to report it (and post about it) as though it is established fact. Gutter journalism and gutter posting.

I wouldn't bank on it. I am absolutely bloody delighted. She's a no nonsense breath of fresh air; a force of nature. She says what she means, means what she says and takes no shit from anybody. She's another Maggie Thatcher in other words.

Tories who might have defected to Reform may well decide to stick around now.

That was a grim post about someone needing their parents to commit suicide to save themselves a bit of money.....

I'm quite surprised at the turnout and the votes cast. Badenoch got 53,806 and Jenrick 41,388. Turnout 73% Truss got 81,326 and Sunak 60,399. Turnout 82.6%. Johnson got 92,153 and Hunt 46,656. Turnout 87.4%. Has the Conservative Party shrunk in numbers that much?

Nevertheless, it's a historic day and result. The first female black leader of any political party.

You really need to speak to French workers who have more rights and are more productive than their equivalent in the UK.

I think she was doing that to stand out in the leadership context to a certain degree, she will have to win over true conservatives. For a long time now conservatism has been watered down - to the point when one might wonder why they don’t simply sign up to Liberal Democrats.

I think she will bring back a more pure form of conservative values, she really will do something about immigration which will appeal to voters that have spilt the right.

I agree with much of what she says, and don’t see it as hateful at all. The divisiveness is not her fault, as it is running through society already.

Suicide is very complex, its totally unfair to attribute one thing to a death, highly irresponsible and shameful for the rightwing media & other posters, to use personal tragedy to score political points.

This poor man, if true, needed help, the IHT changes don't kick in for another 18months......

"Bob Blackman, chair of the Conservative 1922 Committee, revealed the party membership had shrunk to 132,000 - the lowest level on record and down 40,000 members since the last vote by members in 2022. "

Yeap - they've got a mountain to climb to just rebuild the party membership let alone mount an effective campaign.

The defectors will return now in droves. Kemi is their best bet. I think they will be in fine form soon enough.

She has been in the Govt that saw migration increased 3 fold to 764,000, it obviously doesn't bother her.

I used to vote Conservative, several times, the party has moved far to the right, one of the very few far right parties that doesn't support the EU, thats v extreme.

She is a million miles away from the Tories of the 70s and 80s.

She has time to work on softening some of those hard edges, but I for one bloody love the fact that she is fearless and outspoken, takes no prisoners and doesn't suffer fools.

I see what you are saying.
I'll try to explain myself better.

It's a bit like a person in their 60s, who has enjoyed the benefit of free University, a secure job and is now claiming their state pension calling for higher student fees and the scrapping of the state pension for younger people and then calling them entitled and unreasonable when they complain that this is unfair. Even worse, if they have been a part of the government which has actively driven up debt with their policies and helped to make said things unaffordable.
It's not a perfect analogy but hopefully you see what I'm aiming at!

Every party is losing members but that really is very low. Badenoch has her work cut out. One thing that can be said for her is that she does put in the hours.

I do not agree with her politically, Labour member, and find her way too abrasive. Nevertheless, I still congratulate her on her historic win.