In her victory speech, Badenoch described her first tasks as ‘tough but simple’ – we’d argue they’re tough and extremely challenging.

Britain’s humbled Conservative Party elected Kemi Badenoch as its new leader on Saturday, turning to a right-wing favorite who has railed against identity politics, transgender rights and state spending to rebuild its reputation after a devastating election defeat.

Ms. Badenoch, 44, whose parents were immigrants from Nigeria, becomes the first Black woman to head a party that has had three other female leaders — Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss. She succeeds Rishi Sunak, who became the first nonwhite British prime minister after taking over the Tories, Britain’s oldest party, in 2022.