Kemi elected leader of the Tory party

[cariadlet]

Let's hope she really holds Labour to account about women's rights and the dangers of gender ideology.

I wouldn't be surprised if she put forward polices at the next GE to overturn some gender stuff

There could be a way out for the UK and others could follow.

I wouldn't be surprised if she put forward polices at the next GE to overturn some gender stuff

Oh I don't think there's a chance she'll be leading the Tory party into the next election.

And I'd have said that if Jenrick won as well.

Let's see

I've seen so many posts saying there wouldn't be chance she'd be elected as the leader at all

I get the sense people tend to underestimate her

@EasternStandard as I said, I'd have felt the same about Jenrick.

What's going to happen to stop either of them? Had it been Jenrick

They've just gone through the process, there's no need to remove anyone. Who are you envisaging as taking over?

Think this just demonstrates how far out of step Tory membership is with the rest of the country. Last election proved definitively anti-trans posturing isn't a vote winner. She won't provide "robust opposition" she'll just sound nasty and batshit, on all topics. She'll say something indefensible and be out long before the next election. The winner of this vote was only ever going to be a placeholder.

No I think it is just the conservative view that the state should set less regulations on businesses. So it could be part of the benefits package that companies offer, just like an employer pension contribution, and not mandated by the state. She didn’t actually say that maternity pay was too much, she said that statutory maternity pay was. Then the media made a big story out of it. I don’t neccessarily agree, it just annoys me when stories get made up in newspapers - see a lot of that on the gender stuff.

Some companies do offer competitively set maternity and paternity pay as part of their benefits package i.e. higher than SMP. I think every company that values their employees and thinks about long term employee engagement should offer a decent level.

@EasternStandard I don't think she'll be removed now. I just think that in maybe 3ish years, the Tories will remember that in this country you win from the centre, and will go for James Cleverly (or someone like him).

As you said, we'll see. It's only a prediction, and I could easily be wrong - after all it took a couple of general election losses for Labour to realise Corbyn and the far left was no good.

Parties lose power, they elect a bad leader, flounder for a bit, pull themselves together, and elect someone better.

💯

Good. That stale, pale bloke is thick as two short planks.

The centre isn’t fixed, look at what’s happening in the EU, US it’s on a knife edge

I think she could do a good job, I get she prompts reactions as below but I think that’s no bad thing. People who would never vote for Conservatives may want Cleverly but not much between him and Starmer

Maybe some lower debt and taxes but that’ll be a soft sell after Labour’s five years

Kemi Badenoch as Prime Minister: potentially terrifying.

Kemi Badenoch as Leader of the Opposition: great opportunity to see what she's actually all about

So first the upside - a lot of diehard racists and sexists will transfer their affections to Reform. Let them go and don't be whoring after them. It will be good for the Tories long term. Secondly she will hold Labour to account on Self ID and related issues.

On the broader questions of the economy and foreign policy I don't see what she has to offer that Liz Truss didn't tbh. But ....she has time on her hands and no great expectations. She could reinvent Tory policy de novo?

I think that Badenoch will turn out to be more centrist than it currently appears. She understands the importance of principle, but she can also be pragmatic. She's also both intelligent and sensible. If she uses her principles mainly to inform her actions rather than simply to direct them, there's no doubt that she could be a very effective leader (ha! I just reread this, and it looks like a school report! So be it...)

She didn't!

I think a lot of women just focus on the trans /gender issue but I don't think she's that feminist. She made dodgy comments about maternity pay and SEND (which, often the woman is the full time carer of children with additional needs) so I hope she was taken out of context but keeping an open mind.

It must be terrifying for misogynists like FreedomDogs to see a strong black woman leading a political party who actually stands up, clearly and unapologetically, for women's rights. Feeling frit, are you, Freedom?

She did, though. Yes, of course she later tried to backtrack when she realised that her statement was politically damaging, but if you read through what she said, it's very clear that she was saying that SMP was excessive and had gone too far. As far as I can see, there is no other way to interpret her comments, but do feel free to come back and try and twist her words into meaning something completely different.

I think Badeoch is an impressive figure in many ways - confident, articulate and charismatic. And unlike many politicians, she is very direct and says what she actually thinks. While this is refreshing to a certain degree, I suspect that, in the end, it will be her undoing, because her views are actually quite extreme.

Once again, arguing that SMP is excessive is not what I would describe as standing up for women's rights.

David Tenant in shambles.

So good. I'm delighted his mean nastiness has been usurped by her great news

@RoyalCorgi

What a vapid nasty comment. I am a mixed race woman myself, but even if I wasn't, do you believe we must all blindly agree with all women and all PoC on all issues or we are suddenly misogynist or racist? All you've demonstrated here is you have no argument against me except taking cheap personal shots, and ones that don't even make sense at that. I would love to see KB stand up for women's rights (or for immigrants and the children of immigrantsfor that matter), but I have yet to see her do that at all, and I think you're sorrowfully mistaken if you think a right wing Tory is likely to do so. Being anti-trans does not make you pro-woman, and in fact if you look at most of the most vocal anti-trans politicians across the western world and take a look at their attitudes to women in general, you might well notice a trend. In future if you don't agree with me, try addressing the content ofmy actual comment instead of some pathetic "huh huh you disagreed with a black woman that makes you racist" playground taunting.

Being anti-trans does not make you pro-woman, and in fact if you look at most of the most vocal anti-trans politicians across the western world and take a look at their attitudes to women in general, you might well notice a trend

whereas you can guarantee that any “pro trans” politician will have not even stopped to consider women in their headlong rush to ensure men don’t have to be told no

The Martin Lewis BBC podcast on the budget is an interesting listen - a very speedy reaction and he highlights things Labour haven't done - they haven't reformed child benefit which means that it's still based on the highest earner's wage not household, disadvantaging single parents (usually women). They also haven't extended the cut in stamp duty and haven't improved the cliff edge with carer's allowance (if you go over a certain income level you lose the lot - very relevant if you're on minimum wage and your April pay rise takes you over the £151 a week eligibility threshold).

Edited due to typos.