Kemi Badenoch WINS Tory Leadership race after closely fought battle with rival Robert Jenrick

KEMI Badenoch has won the Tory enactment contention aft knocking retired her rival Robert Jenrick successful a choky race.

The outspoken MP was announced arsenic the caller Conservative Party person this morning with 53,806 votes.

Kemi, 44, bushed Robert Jenrick who received much than 41,000 votes.

The erstwhile Business Secretary replaces Rishi Sunak 4 months aft the Tories' crushing decision astatine the General Election.

Bob Blackman, president of the 1922 Committee, said: "Isn't it large we've got different pistillate person and isn't it large we're the archetypal enactment to person a achromatic leader?

"Another solid ceiling shattered."

Next she volition person to formally name a caller Shadow Cabinet from a rump of conscionable 121 Conservative MPs.

And arsenic person of the opposition, 1 of Kemi's archetypal jobs volition beryllium taking connected Sir Keir Starmer astatine Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions.

Tory MPs liken her to Margaret Thatcher and accidental she volition beryllium a formidable hostile for the lawyerly Prime Minister.

The anti-woke crusader has been captious of transgender rights – peculiarly self-identification and sex neutral toilets.

Her enactment run focused connected restoring the party's Conservative values.

Kemi said her enactment had "talked close but governed left" and acted "like Labour" portion successful power.

The North West Essex MP was backed by Tory grandees Sir David Davis and Sir Iain Duncan Smith arsenic good arsenic rising stars Claire Coutinho and Laura Trott.

During the run she sparked outrage by branding maternity wage "excessive" and urging mothers to amusement "more idiosyncratic responsibility".

Six contenders made the archetypal shortlist after gaining the enactment of astatine slightest 10 MPs.             

Dame Priti Patel was the archetypal campaigner knocked retired successful the ballot of MPs.

Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly followed suit.

Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick made it to the last ballot of paid-up Tory members.

Kemi was calved successful Wimbledon successful 1980 to Nigerian parents. Her begetter was a GP and her parent was a physiology professor.

Ms Badenoch spent overmuch of her aboriginal puerility overseas earlier returning to the UK aged 16 to get her A Levels.

She went connected to survey machine engineering astatine the University of Sussex, took up roles arsenic a bundle technologist arsenic good arsenic a manager astatine Coutts backstage slope and astatine The Spectator magazine.

Kemi served connected the London Assembly earlier she was handed the harmless spot of Saffron Walden successful Essex successful 2017.

She took connected a fig of inferior authorities roles earlier throwing her chapeau successful the ringing to regenerate Boris Johnson successful 2022.

Ms Badenoch came 4th with the backing of 59 MPs.

Winner Liz Truss made her Trade Secretary earlier Mr Sunak handed her Business arsenic good arsenic Women and Equalities.

Ms Badenoch is joined to banker and enactment activistic Hamish Badenoch and they person 3 children.