Who is Kemi Badenoch, the potential kingmaker who could decide the next UK PM?

Guess who could play a key role in picking the next United Kingdom prime minister is. It’s the “wild card” Kemi Badenoch. The little-known candidate could play kingmaker as the race hots up.In the fourth round, Badenoch has been eliminated but the part in the leadership race might not be over yet.Former finance minister Rishi Sunak is still in the lead after the fourth round of voting by Conservative lawmakers to pick the next party leader and the country’s prime minister. The winner will succeed the embattled Boris Johnson.On Tuesday, Sunak won the support of 118 lawmakers, followed by Penny Mordaunt, who bagged 92 votes. Liz Truss got 86, getting closer to Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch 59, dropping out as the last-placed candidate. It looks like the Indian-origin MP will make the final two candidates. But the question remains on who will he be up against.Mordaunt, a bookies’ favourite, was up by 10 votes on Tuesday and Truss got an extra 15. It is going to be a tight contest for the second spot. This means that Badenoch, who had gained ground in the third vote, and her backers could decide who leads the country next.Who is Kenny Badenoch?A former communities minister, Badenoch was not a household name before the contest began. Now everyone in the Conservative Party wants to befriend her.Born in south London’s Wimbledon suburb to Nigerian parents, the 42-year-old grew up in Nigeria and the United States. She returned to the UK as a teenager, aged 16. She worked at a McDonald’s branch while studying and then went on to pursue computer engineering at the University of Sussex.In the first few years since earning a degree, she worked in the IT and financial sectors. Badenoch ran digital operations for the right-leaning Spectator magazine, the publication which was once edited by Boris Johnson.Engineering and technology, social mobility and integration are her other areas of interest. She regularly mentors women who wish to pursue careers in technology, according to her website.When did she foray into politics?Badenoch was 25 when she joined the Conservative Party. After spending years trying to make it to Parliament, she served as the Conservative spokesperson for the economy in the London Assembly.In 2017, she was elected as an MP from Saffron Walden, Sussex. In her maiden speech in the House of Commons, she described herself as “to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant”.[caption id="attachment_10930551" align="alignnone" width="640"] From left, Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss were the final four candidates for the Conservative Party leadership. Now Badenoch has been eliminated. AP[/caption]What are her policies?Badenoch is an out-and-out Brexiteer, which has won her strong support among Conservative voters. She had called Britain’s vote to leave the European Union “the greatest ever vote of confidence in the project of the United Kingdom”.During her time as equalities minister, she won praise from those on the right when she challenged the fact that there’s widespread institutional racism in the UK. Often labelled a “culture warrior” – a tag she disputes – she has been vocal on issues like gender-neutral toilets (she is against them), reports BBC.What were her campaign promises?Badenoch has become a darling of the right, more so in recent days. She launched her leadership bid with an article in The Times titled “I want to set us free by telling people the truth”. She spoke of lowering taxes to boost growth and productivity and tighten spending and advocated for free speech and free markets.In the article, the Tory MP once again reiterated that the country was “falsely criticised as oppressive to minorities and immoral because it enforces its own borders”. She claimed that “identity politics is not about tolerance or individual rights, but the very opposite of our crucial and enduring British values”.When she launched her campaign, Badenoch pasted “men” and “ladies” signs on gender-neutral toilets.In her speech, she vowed to “discard the priorities of Twitter and focus on people's priorities instead”, adding, “We have been in the grip of an underlying economic, social, cultural and intellectual malaise,” reports BBC.In an interview with the radio station LBC, she said that the diverse line-up of contenders to be the next Tory leader proved that the party does not have a problem with racism.Who was backing her?Badenoch has created a stir with the votes she has won. Truss pitched herself as the natural candidate for the Tory right but had reasons to worry.The supporters of Truss and Mordaunt have been trying to woo those who voted for Badenoch, but she had asserted that she was in the race to win.Badenoch found big support in Micheal Gove, the former community secretary. He said that she could even make the final two after MPs had “buyer’s remorse” for initially supporting other candidates, reports Telegraph.While Badenoch made an impact, she has been knocked out as predicted. Now, who her supporters will back will play a key role in deciding if Mordaunt or Truss will be up against Sunak.Badenoch might not be the next prime minister, but the UK is going to see more of her. She is likely to be awarded a significant Cabinet berth, reports Politico.It’s not the end then. It could be a new beginning.With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. 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