Why I'm #BackingBadenoch, by Max Stevens

“Change does not mean reheated versions of 1970s, ‘80s or ‘90s policies, but a new mission for our age.”

What sets Kemi Badenoch apart from every single other Tory contender is that she understands that Britain is exhausted and that the Conservative Party can be the only vehicle to deliver a revived vision of national self-regeneration and revitalisation. Look to the late Shinzo Abe, John Howard or Stephen Harper and you will find the same unashamed and bold conservatism Badenoch represents. From promising to end the age of managed decline - in the economy, administration and in Britain’s social trajectory – to acknowledging that Britain needs full-blooded pride once again, Mrs Badenoch represents a new brand of conservatism that places optimism and pride as the vanguard to sweep away our stagnant politics.

In terms of her background, she is the ideal standard-bearer for the conservative values of courage, hard-work and unbridled opportunity. From a middle-class background with Yoruba heritage, Badenoch worked her way from working in McDonald’s while studying for her A-Levels to becoming Minister of State for Equalities, and as a true child of Thatcher, Badenoch brings a fresh new vision of conservatism with her youth.

Furthermore, Badenoch’s tenure as Minister of State for Equalities highlighted her strength in addressing the threat of critical race theory (CRT) with an intellectual rigour that is sorely missing from the present Conservative Party. Indeed, there is a reason why ConservativeHome readers voted her CRT speech as ‘speech of the year’. Badenoch’s exceptional speech to the Commons in October 2020 outlined her unashamed opposition to the radical leftist ideology that many of her colleagues are simply too afraid to speak upon. Regardless of whether you believe in pursuing the culture wars, no other candidate for the leadership comes close to Badenoch’s ability to be both clear and intellectually robust when dealing with forces that wish to tear this country apart.

In her leadership pitch in The Telegraph, returning to low taxes, encouraging productivity growth and ensuring fiscal discipline lie at the heart of her economic vision for Britain. In a time where inflation has reached a 40-year high, a solid conservative vision of a disciplined and well-managed state is essential.

The Boris Johnson era will be regarded as a period without a clear defining philosophy and an 80-seat majority wasted with no enduring political legacy to speak of, besides finalising Brexit and COVID-19. Reinvigoration in our core conservative values lie at the heart of what Badenoch pitches. Only with Badenoch as our leader can the Conservative Party rediscover and re-energise its beliefs in the following:

• The best basis for a society is a coherent national community that is unafraid of its common heritage and traditions

•  National pride is a healthy, unifying force and the best way to overcome racial, class and religious divisions

•  Pursuing national greatness in our economy and society is a legitimate goal in politics

Forget the familiar faces who served in Johnson’s cabinet; these people will not offer a route out of this country’s managed decline. The term ‘change’ is bandied around too often but Badenoch’s passion in this country and intellectual ability is unmatched. 

Reforming Britain for the better will only come with backing Kemi Badenoch.

Max Stevens is a Conservative Party member and a student at the University of Manchester.

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