Three reasons why Kemi Badenoch can lead Tories out of the wilderness
Kemi Badenoch is a skilled leader who can make tough decisions, has sound judgment and whose instincts are viscerally conservative
As MPs returned to Westminster this week following the summer recess, for the Conservatives, it was time to face up to the reality of that disastrous general election in July. Make no mistake, we Conservatives are very clear that the election was lost by us rather than won by Labour. Which is why it’s time now to elect a new leader who can lead our party to renewal.
There are talented MPs in the race and it’s good news there is consensus that we need a new voice to articulate long-standing conservative values. That ‘continuity’ won’t cut it. However, I am looking for something more; I am looking for the candidate who “just gets it”.
Our next leader must be someone who viscerally lives and breathes conservative values; who has no difficulty in telling the truth even when it’s unpopular; and who has demonstrated the policy consistency and intellectual rigour required to be our party’s leader.
For me, that candidate is Kemi Badenoch. Of course, here I must declare an interest, because I worked for Kemi for 15 months as a junior minister in the Department of Business and Trade, where she was a very effective Secretary of State. Perhaps that allows me to give you an insight into how she operates.
73 trade deals
First, she sets very clear targets. She viewed the business department as the political vehicle to deliver good news as our economy rebounded from Covid.
Therefore, her team of ministers delivered tangible trade upsides in a raft of policy areas: international free-trade agreements with 73 countries amounting to 60 per cent of global GDP; memorandums of understanding with eight US states; accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership; advanced manufacturing plans for automotive, steel and critical minerals; a laser-like focus on increasing UK exports. And, last but not least, progressing a landmark trade deal with India to 95 per cent completion.
Second, she knows how to delegate. I observed how comfortably she operated while surrounded by talented ministers which meant she did not micro-manage. This is critical in creating a cohesive and effective team.
Be in no doubt, she was across all the detail. But, so long as we delivered to her targets, we were given free rein to get on with the job. For me, that meant coming to her only for the big calls and that’s when I learned she could also make tough decisions. Why? Because her judgment is sound and her instincts are viscerally conservative.
Cares deeply
Third, she really cares. She cares deeply about the UK and considers it the country with the greatest potential in the G7. She cares deeply about building prosperity for all not just the few.
She cares deeply that one-in-five adults in the UK are economically inactive because that is a waste of their talent and a drain on the taxpayer. She cares deeply about ethnic minorities and wants a society which gives equal opportunities to all, not special treatment to some. And she cares deeply about women and girls which is why she fought for their right to safe spaces as equalities minister.
Her time as the Secretary of State for Business and Trade will be invaluable to Kemi as the next leader of the Conservative party. She understands how the much the British public value our public services but that they can only be paid for if we first create the wealth.
AI, green energy, life sciences
Yes, we are the sixth richest economy in the world. But the public does not feel it. This is because when we allocate that GDP per head, we are ranked 25th. Kemi understands we need to even up that disparity by raising the prosperity of all our citizens.
The opportunity is there for us to be world leaders in the emerging new sectors of digital and AI, green and sustainable energy, life sciences, creative industries and advanced manufacturing. These will be the well-paid jobs of the future and, so long as we equip our young people with the right skills to access these jobs, we can transform their prosperity and their lives.
Conservatives believe that the role of the state is to provide equal opportunity for individuals to better their lives through their own efforts and Kemi can articulate that creed better than most.
Combative debater
My last endorsement of Kemi’s candidacy is that she will deliver strong opposition to Labour in the Commons. She is a proven and combative debater and will not allow Labour to get away with their mendacious narrative that they have inherited a basket case from the Conservatives.
An economy which the International Monetary Fund said will grow third fastest in the G7 is not a basket case. A country where inflation has come down to two per cent with interest rates falling; where employment is at a record high with 33 million in work, generating tax receipts of more than £1 trillion; and where our exports are going “gangbusters” is not a basket case.
Taxes set to rise under Labour
As parliament resumes this week and as we approach the first fiscal statement from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the full extent of Labour’s dishonesty with the public will be revealed. Over the term of this parliament, they will fail to deliver the growth they have promised whilst increasing the size of the state with no productivity improvements in return. It is inevitable that taxes will go up and hard-working people will be hit the most.
The opportunity for the Conservatives is to understand why they lost the trust of the British people during the last 14 years and return to our core conservative values of integrity, responsibility and aspiration.
Kemi Badenoch is a politician who embodies these values to her core. Which is why I am backing her to lead our party to renewal.
Lord Offord of Garvel is a former minister in the Department of Business and Trade and the Scotland Office
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