As the contest gets keener, Kemi stands out among many other contestants. She is a strong force to be reckoned with no doubt. Beyond the pride of having a compatriot contesting the prestigious seat, she has elicited pride among Nigerians, Africans, and women worldwide.
As the contest gets keener, Kemi stands out among many other contestants. She is a strong force to be reckoned with no doubt. Beyond the pride of having a compatriot contesting the prestigious seat, she has elicited pride among Nigerians, Africans, and women worldwide.
As the contest gets keener, Kemi stands out among many other contestants. She is a strong force to be reckoned with no doubt. Beyond the pride of having a compatriot contesting the prestigious seat, she has elicited pride among Nigerians, Africans, and women worldwide.
Kemi had announced her intention to run in an Op-Ed published in the Times of London on Saturday, July 9, 2022.
Confirming her candidacy in an article in the Times, Kemi said she wanted a “limited government focused on the essentials.”
The 42-year-old, who was among ministers that resigned, said she would lower taxes, but also has a “tight spending discipline.”
Kemi has committed to ensuring that as “a very top priority,” she wants “to tell the truth.”
“Without change, the Conservative Party, Britain, and the western world will continue to drift. Aggressive and assertive rivals will outpace us economically and outmaneuver us internationally,” she wrote.
“It won’t be enough just to offer better management of relative decline. We need the discipline to transform government into an effective and streamlined machine for delivery, not a piggy bank for pressure groups.”
“It’s the truth that will set us free,” she added.
Down the memory lane, Kemi was born on January 2nd, 1980. She was born in Wimbledon, London, to parents of Nigerian origin — Femi and Feyi Adegoke. Her childhood was spent in Lagos, Nigeria, and the United States (US). She studied Computer Systems Engineering at the University of Sussex and worked as a Software Engineer at Logica. She also worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group as a Systems Analyst.
In 2012, Badenoch contested but lost a seat at the London Assembly. Three years later, she was selected as a London Assembly Member. She was also appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Education between July 2019 and February 2020. She was elected as the MP of Saffron Welden, Essex in 2017 and joined the frontbench two years later.
In February 2020, she was appointed Minister of State for Equalities. She held the position until July 6, 2022, when she resigned.
Kemi is married to Hamish Badenoch; they have two daughters and a son. Hamish works for Deutsche Bank and was a Conservative councilor from 2014 to 2018 on Merton London Borough Council, representing Wimbledon Village.
Meanwhile, Kemi was a board member of the Charlton Triangle Homes housing association until 2016 and was also a school governor at St Thomas the Apostle College in Southwark, and the Jubilee Primary School. She recently berated Nigerian politicians for being selfish and failing to serve others.
During her time as equalities minister, Kemi was criticized by members of the government’s LGBT+ advisory panel over delays in banning conversion therapy.
The 42-year-old is a strong defender of conservatism and received a boost with the endorsement of Tory heavyweight, Michael Gove. Gove spoke of her in glowing terms calling her a “brave, principled, brilliant and kind.”
Kemi has also been publicly endorsed by some other members of parliament including Neil O’Brien, MP for Harborough; and Gareth Bacon, MP for Orpington.
Speaking on why she is contesting, she said: “I’m ambitious for our party and our country. I chose to become a conservative MP to serve and I chose this country because here, I can be free and I can be everything that I wanted to be.
“I grew up in Nigeria and I saw firsthand when politicians are in it for themselves.
“When they use private money as their piggybanks, when they promise the earth and they pollute not just the earth, but the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others.
“I came to Britain, determined to make my way in a country where hard work and honesty can take you anywhere.”
“I am delighted that a growing number of my colleagues have faith in my vision for a return to honest politics and conservative principles. Thank you for your support.
“Now is the time for a change, and I am looking forward to continuing to make that case in the TV debates.”
