Everyone has a 'Kemi crush' - and the Tories hope it'll take her all the way to No 10

Everyone has a 'Kemi crush' - and the Tories hope it'll take her all the way to No 10 The Tory leader electrified her party conference this week. But will the country be won over too? Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments By Martyn Brown , Political Editor 11:35, Fri, Oct 9, 2026 Updated: 12:18, Fri, Oct 9, 2026 Westminster Insider (Image: DX) “I have a Kemi crush,” came the rather breathless confession. “We all do”. The words - uttered by a female member of the shadow cabinet - have stuck with me ever since. They were made at the beginning of this Summer during a glitzy Conservative fundraiser I was attending. It was a lavish affair - themed to celebrate “British Heroes” - to help raise some much-welcome dosh for the party. Kemi Badenoch, dressed in a shimmering Boudica-inspired dress, was, unsurprisingly, the star of the show at the event inside London’s sumptuous Raffle’s Hotel, once the historic Old War Office. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Get the latest politics news - straight from our team in Westminster and more I would like to receive emails from the Daily Express featuring our latest products, services, offers, and promotions from across the Reach Plc family . Subscribe Invalid email You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info . Kemi Badenoch (Image: Getty) Midway through the evening the Tory leader made time to speak to yours-truly on her way round the grand ballroom where she was meeting and greeting wealthy party donors. Moments after, the said shadow minister expanded on her admiration for her boss. “She’s absolutely wonderful,” the married MP insisted. “She’s a great leader, speaks her mind and is so personable. I have a Kemi crush - that’s what I call it. We all do.” Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT Boudica was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire around 2,000 years ago. Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT She is considered a national heroine and a symbol of the struggle for justice and independence. Kemi Badenoch, on the other hand, is fighting two battles for modern-day Britain. One to defeat a Labour government which is lurching further to the Left under Andy Burnham and another major challenge to see off the right-wing populism of Nigel Farage 's Reform UK. She’s faring pretty well so far, meticulously rebuilding the Conservatives from a crushing general election defeat two years ago. There is still a long way to go - the Tories are currently in third place in the polls behind their main rivals - but there is enough hope within the party to suggest that a full recovery isn’t out of the question. That was evident during this week’s party conference in Birmingham this week - the “Kemi crush” was in full cry. The Tory faithful are in love with her. Unity was in the air and the party has bet the bank on their current leader. So much so, Kemi even now calls herself the captain, coach and owner of the Conservatives. She was everywhere this week, electrifying the conference and even showing up for a picture at the Express stand. Kemi Badenoch visits the Daily Express stand (Image: DX) Earlier that day, over a coffee - she was actually drinking hot water with honey to soothe her throat - on the 22nd floor of the city’s Hyatt Regency hotel, told myself and Express Editor Geoff Maynard that she is happy with the mood in the party. But she admitted much more needs to be done to see off both Burnham and Farage. Her big speech on Wednesday, in which she announced major promises to cut inheritance tax, has won many plaudits. But politics doesn’t stand still for anyone and it’s back to the grind of Westminster next week. The good news is that Zack Polanski won't be there after losing out in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. DX CONSERVATIVE PARTY CONFERENCE, BIRMINGHAM THE DAILY EXPRESS QUIZ NIGHT WITH SHADOW SECRETARY OF (Image: Jonathan Buckmasterr) Daily Express quiz (Image: Jonathan Buckmasterr) But there's a Budget coming up in just over fortnight which will define the Burnham government for the rest of this parliament. Talk of an early election hasn’t gone away either. I’m told, by senior Tory sources, that they were expecting the Prime Minister to call one during his conference speech in Liverpool. “We thought our conference would be shaped by responding to that,” they said. It never materialised which meant the bottles of “Bottler Burnham” water were on full show. But many believe that a national vote will come sooner rather than later. If so, one of the questions from the Daily Express pub quiz - held annually at both the Tory and Reform conferences - may need to be updated. How many Prime Ministers has Larry the Downing Street cat lived under? Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch Andy Burnham Nigel Farage Zack Polanski Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Add us as preferred source Comments