Kemi Badenoch crashes out of race for UK prime minister

Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch who was contesting for the position of the United Kingdom’s prime minister has crashed out of the race after MPs voted on the next Tory Leader.

On Tuesday, Ms Badenoch was voted out of the race as other contestants; former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss advanced to the final voting stage.  

Announcing the results of the fourth ballot, the Conservatives’ 1922 Committee revealed that Mr Sunak had secured the most votes among MPs with 118 backers.

The results as of Tuesday are as follows; Rishi Sunak with 118 votes, Penny Mordaunt with 92 votes, Liz Truss with 86 votes and Ms Badenoch with 59 votes. 

“I’m grateful to my colleagues and the party members who have supported me,” Ms Badenoch said on Twitter after the results were announced. “This campaign began less than two weeks ago. What we’ve achieved demonstrates the level of support for our vision of change for our country and for the Conservative Party. Thank you.”

Last week, Ms Badenoch berated Nigerian politicians for being selfish and failing to serve the country. She said she had seen first hand what happens when politicians convert public monies for their private affairs and how they “pollute not just the air, but the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others.”

Ms Badenoch, a former Equalities Minister, launched her bid to become the next prime minister by campaigning around tax cuts, low regulation, and attacking the UK’s net-zero target.