'The Remainers are back in town': Nigel Farage says Kemi Badenoch will bring 'no change whatsoever' to Tories
by Kit Heren · LBCExclusive
Farage on Badenoch becoming Tory leader
By Kit Heren
Nigel Farage has told LBC that Kemi Badenoch is "the continuity candidate" for the Conservatives and claimed that his party's membership has spiked since she was elected.
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Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari outside a rally for Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, Mr Farage said there would be "no change whatsoever" to the Conservatives after Ms Badenoch was chosen as the new leader on Saturday.
Ms Badenoch was named Tory leader on Saturday, beating Robert Jenrick in a vote of Conservative members.
Ms Badenoch began to choose her Shadow Cabinet on Monday, including Mr Jenrick, Priti Patel and Mel Stride.
Reacting to the news, Mr Farage said: "The Remainers are back in town." Mr Jenrick and Mr Stride both voted to remain in the EU in 2016, while Ms Patel backed leave.
Mr Farage told Nick that Ms Patel was "a continuity candidate with all the influences of Michael Gove and all the gang in Downing Street."
He added: "There are two parties within the Conservative Party, you’ve got the reform-minded people and the Liberal Democrat minded people and they are so far apart, it’s not true."
Mr Farage went on: "Somehow she thinks miraculously she can bring them together."
Asked what the effect of Ms Badenoch's election was, Mr Farage said he was "seeing it already" with a rise in membership.
He said: "We’ve gone through 95,000 this morning - up 1,500 in the last 3 or 4 days.
"These are Conservatives who were hanging on to see if the party could change direction. For us as a party it’s very good news."
Under Ms Badenoch's leadership, Ms Patel will be Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Mr Jenrick will take the Shadow Justice brief.
This marks a return to front-bench politics for Ms Patel, who served as home secretary under Boris Johnson and secretary of state for international development under Theresa May.
Kemi Badenoch also named Mel Stride - another rival in the recent race - as Shadow Home Secretary in what is seen as a significant promotion for Devon MP.
Yesterday, Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris was named Tory chief whip in Ms Badenoch’s first appointment since she won the leadership of her party.
Ms Harris's predecessor Stuart Andrew announced the appointment on X on Sunday.
In a post on X, Mr Andrew said: "It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as the Conservative Party chief whip.
"Rebecca Harris is a great friend and a brilliant whip. I wish her all the best in the role."
Ms Badenoch was declared the winner at an event in central London on Saturday, defeating rival Robert Jenrick by 53,806 votes to 41,388.
The North West Essex MP will replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the Opposition and seek to chart a path back to power for the Tories after their disastrous election defeat in July.
She is the first black person to lead a British political party and the fourth female Conservative leader.