UK

‘Anti-woke’ Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch endorsed by ‘literal fascists’ Britain First

Kemi Badenoch wears a bright yellow outfit as she speaks at a podium during a Tory leadership election debate

Kemi Badenoch has been endorsed by Britain First in the race to become prime minister after the far-right group described the MP as “anti-woke”. (Channel 4)

Far-right group Britain First has urged supporters to back “anti-woke” Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch in the race to become prime minister. 

Britain First – which has been described as a “fascist” political group though it has denied such claims – endorsed Badenoch after the results of the third round of Conservative leadership voting Monday (18 July). 

The group claimed in a press release it had “thousands” of members who joined the Tories to “help Boris Johnson win the previous election” in 2019, according to screenshots shared online by Guardian political correspondent Aubrey Allegretti. 

Britain First said these “members/infiltrators” have now been “instructed” to vote for Badenoch because she is the only “anti-woke” candidate. The group called other election candidates Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss – who are the current frontrunners – the “liberal wing” of the Conservative Party. 

Britain First leader Paul Golding, who was found guilty of an offence under the Terrorism Act in 2020, said the organisation will do “whatever it can to ensure that a genuine patriotic, small ‘c’ conservative values triumph” in the Tory leadership race. 

Golding was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment in 2018 alongside Jayda Fransen, a far-right activist who was deputy leader of Britain First at the time, for a series of hate crimes against Muslims.

Britain First has carried out a lengthy list of inflammatory actions in the past. The ultra-nationalist group advocated banning Islam in the UK following the 2015 Paris terror attack and threatened to bury a pig on the site of a proposed mosque. 

Members invaded a Halal slaughterhouse and accused staff of serving Satan.

Britain First’s policies call for the deportation of all asylum seekers “who do not originate from countries bordering the United Kingdom”. 

Labour MP Nadia Whittome joined several people on social media criticising Britain First’s endorsement of Badenoch. 

Whittome wrote the support was “proof” that “diversity in the Tory leadership race means nothing when they’ve built their careers on throwing people of colour and migrants under the bus”.

 

Badenoch served as junior equalities minister from 2020 until 6 July when she joined the mass exodus of officials from Johnson’s government. She has been condemned for “utterly failing” LGBTQ+ people as she did little to help the community while in the role.

Kemi Badenoch faced repeated calls for her resignation over the Equalities Office’s delay on vital legislation banning conversion therapy. Yet, in the background, she secretly met with anti-trans lobby group LGB Alliance and allegedly was instrumental in setting up a meeting between government officials and an organisation that advocates for conversion therapy. 

Badenoch reportedly skipped a key meeting on Gender Recognition Act reforms, described trans women as “men using women’s bathrooms” in leaked audio and defended anti-trans professor Kathleen Stock.

Badenoch beat Tom Tugendhat during the third Conservative leadership vote after receiving 58 votes, but she lagged behind the other candidates. Former chancellor Rishi Sunak maintained his lead with 115 votes while Penny Mordaunt held 82. 

Truss held third place after getting 71 votes in the third round. 

PinkNews has contacted Kemi Badenoch’s office for comment on Britain First’s endorsement. 

 

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