November 3rd 2024.
Who is Kemi Badenoch and who is her husband, Hamish? Kemi Badenoch has recently been named as the leader of the Conservative Party, but many are wondering who this new top Tory is. Badenoch stepped in as the new leader after the Conservative Party suffered a devastating loss of 251 seats in the general election. Despite this challenging start, Badenoch emerged as the winner in the leadership race, receiving 53,806 votes and beating out rival Robert Jenrick by 12,418 votes. In doing so, she became the first Black woman to lead a major UK party. With the party now in opposition, Badenoch acknowledges that their task will be tough, but simple.
Badenoch and her husband, Hamish, were seen together at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. All eyes are now on the 44-year-old, who was not initially favored to win the leadership race. However, she has managed to win over the hearts of Tory grassroots supporters by positioning herself as an anti-woke politician with conservative views on LGBT+ rights, immigration, and colonialism. Let's take a closer look at the private life of Badenoch and those closest to her.
Kemi Badenoch was born on January 2, 1980, in Wimbledon, southwest London to Nigerian Yoruba parents. Her mother is a GP and her father is a professor of physiology. Growing up, Badenoch split her time between the United States and Lagos, Nigeria as her mother's work took the family abroad. She attended Phoenix College in Morden, south London for her A-levels and then went on to study computer science at the University of Sussex. After working in the IT sector, she pursued a law degree and worked in the financial services and consultancy industry. She even had a brief stint at The Spectator as a digital director.
Kemi Badenoch is married to Hamish Badenoch, whom she met while he was a Conservative activist in the Dulwich and West Norwood Tory association. He eventually became her campaign manager and the two developed a close friendship. Hamish has been compared to Margaret Thatcher's husband, Denis, who would offer to give lifts to a young Thatcher during her early campaigns. Hamish has had an interesting career himself, working as a journalist in Malawi, a consultant in Nigeria, and the CEO of Avis car hire in Kenya. He was also a Conservative councillor in Merton Borough Council from 2014 to 2018.
The couple has three children together, with their youngest being born in September 2019. Their relationship started as a friendship during political campaigning and turned into something more. Despite not being love at first sight, as Badenoch revealed to the Times, the two tied the knot in 2012 and have been married ever since.
Badenoch has faced criticism for her views on the LGBT+ community, particularly regarding transgender rights. As the Minister for Equalities and Levelling Up Communities, she has opposed allowing trans employees of the Financial Conduct Authority to self-identify in their workplace and has also opposed gender-neutral toilets. These views have sparked backlash, including a public dispute with Dr. Who actor David Tennant at the British LGBT Awards. Tennant expressed his wish for Badenoch to "shut up" and not exist anymore, to which Badenoch responded by stating that she will not be silenced by men prioritizing applause from organizations like Stonewall over the safety of women and girls. The situation brought to light the ongoing tension and discussion surrounding transgender rights in the UK.
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