Jeremiah Ajayi
Following her appointment on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, as the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Liz Truss named Kemi Badenoch, a woman of Nigerian descent, as the new Secretary of State for International Trade and Head of Board of Trade. She said this after being elected prime minister of the UK.
While noting the problems that accompanied Johnson’s style of leadership was a scandal about how he handled complaints laid by Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher’s over alleged sexual misconduct, which resulted in his ultimate resignation. At night on Tuesday-September 6, 2023, the Prime Minister declared Badenoch to be a part of the new cabinet. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who was appointed Secretary of State for Transportation, is to be replaced by her. Badenoch served as the Minister for Equal Rights and Local Government until her resignation from Johnson’s cabinet in July.
Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch née Adegoke, was born on 2nd January, 1980. She is a member of the Conservative Party, who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Saffron Walden since 2017. Born to Nigerian parents in Wimbledon, London, Badenoch spent some of her early years in Lagos and the United States before moving back to the country at the age of 16. She worked as a software developer at Logica following her graduation from the University of Sussex before beginning her legal studies at Birkbeck, University of London. Later, Badenoch pursued a career in banking and had positions at Coutts and the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Badenoch ran unsuccessfully for a position on the London Assembly in 2012, but she was appointed to the body in 2015 following Victoria Borwick’s resignation. Badenoch, a Brexit supporter in the 2016 vote, won a seat in the House of Commons in 2017. Badenoch was selected to serve as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families when Boris Johnson was elected Prime Minister in July 2019. She was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities during the February 2020 reorganization. She was made Minister of State for Local Government, Faith, and Communities in September 2021 after being elevated to Minister of State for Equalities. After leaving the administration in July 2022, Badenoch ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2022, but she was defeated in the fourth round of voting. Generally regarded as belonging to the Conservative Party’s political right, Badenoch has been referred to as a social conservative and “anti-woke” politician who has criticized “critical race theory.” Badenoch opposed plans by the Financial Conduct Authority to permit trans employees to self-identify in the workplace and opposes gender neutral restrooms in public buildings while serving as Minister of State for Equalities.
Hamish Badenoch is Kemi’s husband-the couple have three children-two girls and a son. From 2014 to 2018, Hamish served as Wimbledon Village’s Conservative councilor on the Merton Borough Council while working for Deutsche Bank. In addition, he ran against Foyle for the Northern Ireland Conservatives in the general election of 2015. Up until 2016, Badenoch was on the board of the Charlton Triangle Homes Housing Association. He also served as a school governor at the Jubilee Primary School and St. Thomas the Apostle College in Southwark.
It is noted by Badenoch that her maternal grandfather served as a Methodist minister in Nigeria and that she identifies as a cultural Christian. In February 2022, Badenoch’s father Femi passed away. She briefly took time off from her ministerial responsibilities during this time.
