Badenoch Archives - Hoang Viet

Sep 18 2024

Kemi Badenoch claims she ‘became working class’ after securing a job at McDonald’s as a teenager | Politics News

Kemi Badenoch has claimed she grew up in a middle class family but “became working class” after securing a job at McDonald’s as a teenager.

The former business secretary, who is campaigning to become the next Conservative Party leader, said there was a “humility” to the job she took on at 16, describing days cleaning toilets and “flipping burgers”.

She told Chopper’s Political Podcast with Christopher Hope that her time at McDonald’s was the “first time I ever interacted properly with people who didn’t come from the sort of background that I came from”.

Politics Live: Minister dismisses concerns over free Swift tickets

Ms Badenoch said: “I grew up in a middle class family, but I became working class when I was 16 working at McDonald’s.

“Just understanding how many people there were single parents, and they were working there to make ends meet.

“There’s a humility there as well. You had to wash toilets, there were no special cleaners coming in. You had to wash toilets, you had to flip burgers, you had to handle money.”

Her comments quickly circulated online, with one Labour MP questioning Ms Badenoch’s claim that she “became working class”.

Sharing a clip from the podcast, Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, said: “I’m not sure that’s how it works.”

Meanwhile, Irvine Welsh, the author of Trainspotting, said: “I was a council scheme boy but I became upper class when I started shoplifting at Harrods. It just takes enterprise.”

Later in the interview, Ms Badenoch said she “never has gaffes” or has to “apologise for something”.

Read more from Sky News:
ITV boss defends letting Ed Balls interview wife Yvette Cooper
Huw Edwards’ sentence not eligible for review

She added: “I never have to clarify, because I think very careful about what I say.”

The former business secretary is one of four candidates remaining in the race to replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party.

The other hopefuls are Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly.

The four candidates will give short speeches at the Conservative Party conference later this month, before MPs vote to whittle down the race to two.

A new leader will then be selected by the Tory party membership, which is expected in November.

admin 0 Comments

Sep 1 2024

Tory leadership: We won’t win back trust ‘by pointing out how terrible Labour are’, says Badenoch | Politics News

The Tories will not win back trust of the British people by simply “pointing out how terrible Labour are”, Kemi Badenoch will say.

Speaking at the launch of her Conservative leadership campaign on Monday, the former Business Secretary will attack the new government as failing to offer “something better”.

But despite reeling off a list of criticisms, including “trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the British public about the state of the UK finances”, she will go on to say that this won’t help her party win the next election.

“If the Conservatives want to become worthy of the British people’s trust again, we can’t just sit around pointing out how terrible Labour are… fun as it is,” Ms Badenoch will say.

“We can’t just keep having the same policy arguments from the last parliament. We lost. We are not in power.

“Labour will fail; and when that time comes, and the British people are looking for change, we have to be that change.

“We have to focus on renewal. The renewal of our party, our politics, and our thinking.”

The Tories suffered their worst ever general election defeat in July, ushering a Labour government into power for the first time in 14 years.

Conservatives are split about what direction the party should go in, with some calling for a return to the centre ground and others favouring a shift to the right to combat the threat of Reform UK.

Ms Badenoch, seen as favourite on the right, is up against five others in the race to replace Rishi Sunak: Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly, Dame Priti Patel, Tom Tughendhat and Mel Stride.

Mr Cleverly will also give a speech on Monday, when parliament returns from the summer recess, in which he will say his party must “think and act like Conservatives again” and argue for a smaller state.

He will say the Tories “must get our act together” to present solutions to “an unstable world, global migration and a crisis of confidence in capitalism”.

“That means being honest and realistic about the role of the state. About what it should and can do, and what it should not and cannot. The state should focus on doing fewer things very well, not everything badly,” he will add.

“We accept that the state has a primary duty to protect its people and its borders. But Conservatives must be honest about the trade-offs in doing these things properly.”

Read more:
Tugendhat: ‘Fight illegal migration like we did slavery – with the navy
Jenrick would be ‘pleased’ to have Johnson in his shadow cabinet

Mr Cleverly will also argue for a “family-first society” rather than looking to the state as the first port of call when a problem arises.

👉 Tap here to follow the Sky News Daily podcast – 20 minutes on the biggest stories every day 👈

The candidates are seeking support from fellow MPs ahead of the first round of voting on Wednesday, after which the field of contestants will be reduced to four.

The build-up to the ballot has already seen major speeches by Mr Tugendhat, Ms Patel and Mr Jenrick in recent days.

A husting will be held during the party conference at the end of the month, when MPs will vote again to narrow the field to two candidates.

The party’s wider membership will then vote with the winner announced on 2 November.

admin 0 Comments