Kemi Badenoch faced criticism for a factual error on Brexit made during a recent TV interview, casting doubt on her previous claims of never making mistakes. The Conservative leader incorrectly stated that Northern Ireland voted to leave the EU, despite the region actually voting to remain in the 2016 referendum with a majority of 56% to 44%.
After being corrected, Badenoch acknowledged the error and clarified that she understood Northern Ireland’s vote to remain, emphasizing the efforts made to address the complexities of the situation. She later emphasized that while Scotland and a significant portion of Northern Ireland voted to remain, Wales and England voted to leave, resulting in the UK as a whole opting to leave the EU.
This incident comes ahead of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, where Badenoch is under increasing pressure following challenges within the party and the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform party among right-wing voters.
Social media users highlighted a previous statement by Badenoch where she claimed to avoid gaffes by carefully considering her words. However, a recent YouGov poll revealed that a notable percentage of voters doubt the future strength of the Conservative Party, with a significant portion also expressing dissatisfaction with Badenoch’s leadership.
In response to concerns about Farage’s influence, Badenoch refuted any suggestion of feeling threatened, asserting that the Conservative Party is the best option for all four nations of the UK under her new leadership. She emphasized the need to scrutinize the current Labour government’s actions rather than focusing on past Conservative policies.