Kemi Badenoch faced criticism for a Brexit blunder during a recent TV interview, casting doubt on her assertion of never making mistakes. The Conservative leader mistakenly stated that Northern Ireland had voted to leave the EU, despite the region actually voting to remain in the 2016 referendum by a 56% to 44% margin. When corrected, Badenoch acknowledged the error, noting that Northern Ireland had indeed voted to remain and highlighted the efforts to accommodate the differing views within the UK.
In a subsequent exchange, Badenoch clarified that while Scotland and a significant portion of Northern Ireland voted to remain, Wales and England voted to leave, leading to the overall decision for Brexit. The incident occurred ahead of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, where pressure on Badenoch is mounting amidst challenges within the party, including competition from Nigel Farage’s Reform party.
Following the gaffe, social media users shared a past clip of Badenoch asserting her careful choice of words to avoid misunderstandings and the need for apologies. However, recent polling by YouGov revealed concerns among voters, with 45% expressing discontent with Badenoch’s leadership performance and 21% questioning the future relevance of the Conservative Party.
In response to questions about Farage’s influence and defections, Badenoch emphasized the Conservative Party’s commitment to serving all four nations of the UK under her leadership. She dismissed comparisons with Labour and Reform, highlighting the party’s new direction and the need to scrutinize the current Labour government’s actions.
