UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said that many of the criticisms directed at her are rooted in racism and false assumptions about her rise to the top.
Gatekeepers News reports that in an interview with The Times, Badenoch dismissed claims that her success was the result of a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy rather than merit.
She said, “There’s a certain cadre of people who clearly can’t cope with the fact that I won this and I’m doing it. The level of personal attacks from anonymous people is hysterical.”
Badenoch drew a comparison with past criticism of former U.S. president Donald Trump, remarking: “People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome.”
She noted that detractors often attempt to undermine her achievement with the narrative: “How could she possibly have done this? It must have been DEI.”
According to her, those criticisms rely on stereotypes. She explained that black people are frequently portrayed as “lazy, corrupt or all DEI hires,” a view she called “extraordinary” since she treats “everyone at face value.”
The 45-year-old, who spent her early years in Nigeria before moving to the UK at 16, also said she is frequently targeted with racist rhetoric online.
However, she made clear that Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary who lost to her in the leadership contest, was not behind the rumours.
She said, “There’s a whole swathe of stuff online: There’s a lot of ethno-nationalism creeping up, lots of stuff about my race and my ethnicity and the tropes around: ‘Well, she couldn’t possibly have done this all by herself’.”
“ People who used these tropes were trying to tell a story about me that is wholly untrue and which everyone around me knows is untrue.”
“I think even Rob himself finds it distressing, but it’s just something that we deal with.”
Recall that Badenoch assumed leadership of the Conservative Party after Labour’s Keir Starmer ended 14 years of Tory rule in last year’s general election.
