Columnist Darren Lewis argues that Kemi Badenoch's recent speech rejecting the "extremist, racist rhetoric" of Reform UK is "a bit late now," asserting that the Conservative leader has spent years excusing such rhetoric or gaslighting people of colour over its impact.
Past Statements and Defences
Lewis points to Badenoch's defence of the widely-discredited Sewell Report, published in 2021, which denied the existence of institutional racism in the UK despite statistical evidence. He also recalls her dismissal as "trivia" of remarks by Tory donor Frank Hester about Labour MP Diane Abbott, and her defence of Robert Jenrick's complaint about not seeing "another white face" during a Birmingham visit.
Lewis further cites Badenoch's statement that "not all cultures are equally valid," her description of workplace diversity drives as a waste of money, and her reported claim not to "care about colonialism." He also notes her suggestion that teaching about systemic racism would be "breaking the law" and her assertion that racial prejudice she has encountered "is always from the left."
Reform Defections and Criticism
The columnist highlights that many of the xenophobic attacks Badenoch now faces come from Reform, which has attracted ex-Tory MPs and cabinet ministers she previously defended. He questions the praise for her speech, noting that most commentators have no experience of being a person of colour affected by such rhetoric.
Lewis quotes Badenoch's speech ruling out a Tory-Reform coalition and her comments about not wanting to live in a country run by people who threaten journalists, call veterans traitors, or debate whether her mixed-race children are English.
Impact and Timing
Lewis concludes that Badenoch's condemnation of racists appears more like a move to grab centre-right support than a genuine rejection of her own politics. He says her children are "innocents" who do not deserve the hate she emboldened, and that she played a key role in creating a "powder keg" society. He ends by stating that time will tell if she has genuinely seen the light.
