November 3rd 2024.
Ms Badenoch made her first appearance as the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg. She had just been chosen as the first Black woman to lead a major UK political party, beating out Robert Jenrick for the position. In line with her promise to be honest, Ms Badenoch stated that the Partygate scandal had been blown out of proportion and that the government should not have fined individuals for violating lockdown rules.
When asked about the failures of Boris Johnson's government, she acknowledged that while he was a great prime minister, there were serious issues that were not being addressed. She also noted that during his tenure, the public felt that their voices were not being heard and that their concerns were not being taken into consideration. Ms Badenoch also expressed her belief that it was wrong to make breaking lockdown rules a criminal offense, stating that it showed a departure from the party's principles.
The Member of Parliament for north west Essex further claimed that the Partygate scandal had been exaggerated, stating that it was not the reason for her resignation. She clarified that while some aspects of the scandal were problematic, such as the creation of Fixed Penalty Notices, the public's outrage was justified. However, she also believed that the government's response, which included criminalizing everyday activities, went too far and ultimately led to a trap for Boris Johnson.
Ms Badenoch acknowledged that as the new leader of the party, she would be held accountable for the failures of her predecessors. She cited the Chris Pincher scandal, which involved allegations of sexual misconduct against the former Conservative deputy chief whip, as a turning point for her. She stated that she could no longer support a government that sent out ministers to make false statements and that the scandal, combined with Partygate, led to a series of resignations that ultimately led to the downfall of Boris Johnson's government.
In conclusion, Ms Badenoch promised to be transparent and honest about the mistakes made by previous Conservative leaders. She acknowledged that there were issues that needed to be addressed and that the government's response to the Partygate scandal was not in line with the party's principles. As the new leader, she vowed to learn from these mistakes and work towards rebuilding the trust of the public.
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