Who is Kemi Badenoch? Meet the Conservative Minister for Women and Equalities

KEMI BADENOCH is one of the most high profile Conservative politicians and has previously run for leader.

As the UK heads to the polls, here’s all you need to know about the Tory MP who’s seen as a potential future Prime Minister.

Kemi Badenoch attended cabinet as Secretary of State for the Department for Business and TradeZUMAPRESS / MEGA

Who is Kemi Badenoch?

Kemi Badenoch was born on January 2, 1980 in Wimbledon.

She was the Conservative MP for Saffron Walden until the seat was abolished in 2024.

She is standing for election for the Tories in the newly formed constituency of North West Essex which has replaced it.

She has served as Secretary of State for Business and Trade since 2023 and Minister for Women and Equalities since 2022.

Born to Nigerian parents, Badenoch spent much of her early childhood abroad before returning to the UK aged 16 to obtain her A Levels.

She went on to study at the University of Sussex, before taking up stints as a software engineer, systems analysts as well as a role as a director at both a bank and a magazine.

Kemi only joined Parliament in 2017 when she was handed the safe seat of Saffron Walden in Essex – replacing the outgoing former deputy speaker Alan Hazlehurst.

Kemi Badenoch carried her baby whilst sworn in as an MPGetty

She was handed a number of junior roles under previous Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

These included working in Rishi Sunak‘s team in the Treasury and as Minister of State for Equalities.

In 2022 she resigned from Government and stood unsuccessfully to be party leader and Prime Minister – losing out to Liz Truss.

Truss appointed Badenoch as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade – roles she continued in following the end of Truss’ time as PM and the appointment of Rishi Sunak.

In 2023 Sunak carried out a reshuffle of his Cabinet and appointed Badenoch as Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which was a new role after he merged some of the previous Government departments.

Kemi Badenoch during talks on an upgraded UK-Turkey free trade agreementPA

This role involved signing trade deals with countries around the world after Brexit – something she’s campaigned passionately for throughout her political career.

Sunak also appointed Badenoch as Minister for Women and Equalities.

In this role she has often criticised campaigners for the Black Lives Matter movement.

She criticised “certain people” calling for changes to the history curriculum in British schools.

Badenoch said that some campaigners wanted the history curriculum to be taught “in a way that suggests good people are black people” and “bad people are white people”.

She has also been a critic of campaigners for transgender rights, particularly around self-ID, the provision of gender-neutral toilets and the participation of transgender women in women’s sport.

This has led to a number of clashes with high profile left wingers.

Doctor Who star David Tenant said he wished Badenoch would “shut up” and “not exist” over her views whilst he accepted an award at an LGBTQ+ awards bash.

David Tennant at the LBGT awards, where he said he wanted Kemi Badenoch to “shut up”X/Twitter

In response Kemi called him a “rich, lefty, white male celebrity blinded by ideology”.

In 2023 Kemi Badenoch was named as the seventh most powerful right-wing figure in British politics by New Statesman, which described her as the “darling” of many party members.

How did Kemi Badenoch vote on Brexit?

Badenoch campaigned to leave the EU ahead of the 2016 referendum and has generally followed the Tory whip on Brexit matters since.

In her role as Business and Trade Secretary, she’s been a vocal defender of Brexit and the potential benefits it could bring.

Kemi Badenoch delivers a keynote speech during the CityUK International ConferencePA

She has signed a number of trade deals with other countries, and describes the UK leaving the EU as a “roaring success”.

Is Kemi Badenoch running for Tory leader?

There has been speculation Kemi Badenoch would run as Tory leader for a second time following an unsuccessful attempt in 2022, if Rishi Sunak resigns as leader after the election.

Former Tory MP Nadine Dorries has suggested in her book The Plot that Badenoch is being “manoeuvred by powerful men”, and that there is a long-running plan to eventually install her as party leader.

Kemi Badenoch on Sunday with Laura KuenssbergBBC

Last time round Badenoch launched her bid for Prime Minister with plans to axe pointless well-being jobs in government and ditch the net zero targets.

She had the backing of many as she said in Westminster: “Why are we spending millions on people whose jobs literally didn’t exist a decade ago, like staff well-being coordinators in the public sector?

“What about the well-being of the actual public who can’t go on holiday because we can’t process a piece of paper?”

She wanted to look into university degrees which leave students barely learning any life skills but with a student loan debt, which will probably never be paid.

Badenoch told The Sun: “As PM I’d open more good jobs to talented people, help young people avoid crippling debt, and save money from this reform and across the board.”

Is Kemi Badenoch married and does she have children?

Away from work, Kemi is married to Deutsche Bank employee Hamish Badenoch.

Kemi Badenoch with her husband HamishImageplotter / Alamy

They met in 2009 whilst Kemi was campaigning to be elected in Dulwich, and grew closer whilst canvassing and fundraising together.

The couple have two daughters and a son.