Leading Tory Kemi Badenoch has been facing criticism after her 2018 comments about immigration surfaced, revealing a stance that contradicts her current position.
Remarks Causing Controversy
The remarks causing all the controversy were depicted in a video of Badenoch speaking in the Commons in 2018. At the time, she was a backbench MP and advocated for a number of things the Theresa May government stood for.
Praised Former Home Secretary’s Reforms
She had lauded reforms by former home secretary Sajid Javid, which included lifting the cap for highly skilled migrants and allowing European Union students to stay in the UK for six months after graduating.
Badenoch Is ”A First-Generation Immigrant”
She said, “As a first-generation immigrant, can I welcome the home secretary’s statement?” and explained that she felt that “this immigration white paper is a move from the 20th century to a much better future immigration system.”
Fourth in Contest in 2022
Ms Badenoch came fourth in the summer 2022 contest to succeed Boris Johnson, who resigned amid various controversies and pressure from within his own party.
“Only Candidate” to Address Taboos of Immigration
She was praised for her ability to address taboos linked to immigration and described during the political race as “the only candidate” who dealt with the impact of immigration.
Badenoch Vocal About Her View Change
However, after the 2018 remarks surfaced in The Sun newspaper, she has since come forward to explain that her views have changed.
2018 Had a Different Policy That Made Sense
She mentioned that “ In 2018 we had unlimited EU migration. Our party policy was to bring in highly-skilled people, but limit low-skilled ones.”
Kemi No Longer Standing for Her Previous Comments
Badenoch has said that she has clearly expressed that her views on immigration have changed, which is evident in her Tory Leadership race in 2022.
“It Wasn’t Working”
She stated, “ By 2022, I could see it wasn’t working. It’s why I was so vocal about it in the last leadership contest.”
Joined to Succeed Sunak
Badenoch joined the political contest to replace Rishi Sunak, the former Conservative Leader and Prime Minister.
Badenoch Is the Frontrunner for the Tory Leader
The shadow Housing Secretary is the frontrunner to succeed Sunak and take over as Tory Leader after the worst-ever general election campaign.
Critics Argue She Has Blown Her Chances
However, critics have argued that Badenoch’s past remarks about supporting more relaxed immigration rules may have undermined her chances of winning the contest.
Kemi Is Misleading the Public
A Tory source has said, “Either she mislead the Commons in 2018 or Kemi is misleading the public now with any claim she would reduce migration numbers.”
Clip Used to ”Attack”
A former Tory MP, Rachel Maclean, who lost her seat in July, expressed her support for Badenoch, saying it was “shameful that this 2018 clip is being used to attack Kemi.”
Support in Kemi’s Favour
She added, “As leader, Kemi will ensure that when we say we’ll bring the numbers down, we will.”
“Truthful Debate About Immigration” Is Needed
Ms Badenoch has said they should hold a “truthful debate in this contest about immigration.”
Views Have Since Evolved
Badenoch turned to the social media platform X to clarify that her views on immigration, which she held three election cycles ago, have since evolved as she recognises that her previous stance is not yielding the expected results.
Net Migration Policy to Border Control
Badenoch has changed her stance from praising a policy that led to record levels of migration to taking a stance on strict border control.
Mindsets and Views Can Change
Consideration should also be given to the number of years that have passed since her previous views were expressed and the fact that she witnessed firsthand the shortcomings of the previous policy. But only time will tell if the public will accept her new views on the immigration matter, with the race coming to an end in autumn.
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