Kemi Badenoch says she’d give JK Rowling a peerage for her gender views

Tory leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch would give controversial author JK Rowling a peerage if given the chance.

Speaking to TalkTV, former equalities minister Badenoch praised Rowling and Cass Review author Dr Hilary Cass for their stance on gender issues, claiming they have “fought for so much” and need “protection”.

“They are attacked relentlessly by all sorts of oddballs and bad people,” she said.

Asked whether she would give Rowling a peerage, the shadow housing secretary replied: “I would. I don’t know whether she would take it, but I certainly would give her a peerage.”

In recent years, the Harry Potter author has become just as well-known for her views on trans rights as for young wizards and house-elves.

Badenoch’s comments follow Dr Hilary Cass being elevated to the House of Lords for her work on the review of youth gender clinic practices in England and Wales, which was published earlier this year.

The Cass Report made upwards of 32 recommendations to restructure youth gender services to create a “holistic approach.”

It has been criticised by activists, charities and medical professionals for its lack of “developmental rigour”. Internationally recognised trans healthcare bodies attacked the report’s “selective and inconsistent” evidence in coming to its conclusions.

Badenoch, who said she had “managed to get” Cass a peerage, praised the the paediatric expert as a “strong voice [for] women who have fought for so much [and] need protection”.

Earlier this week, she celebrated Cass taking her seat in the House of Lords, writing on X/Twitter: “Those who told the truth about the damage extreme gender ideology was causing children are some of the bravest I’ve ever met.

“Getting their voices into parliament would guarantee some protection from those who want to shut them up.”

Elsewhere during the interview, Badenoch insisted she was not taking a “combative” approach to her campaign for the Tory Party leadership. “I’m not getting involved [with] the people who are playing silly politics. They got us into this mess,” she said.

“They started the psychodrama. Party members are sick of seeing all this petty squabbling, slandering all the people briefing. It has to end.

“I am a clean slate. I am the bold choice. I am not more of the same. I’m something different.”

The winner of the Conservative leadership contest will be named on 2 November. Only Badenoch and Robert Jenrick remain after James Cleverly was knocked out earlier this month.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.