Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch has mounted a passionate defence of the British identity of her mixed-race children, declaring that she does not want to live in a country where citizens’ national identity is questioned based on their heritage or race.
​Speaking on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, during her keynote address at the Conservative Party Conference held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham, the Opposition Leader directly targeted figures within Reform UK. She accused political rivals of engaging in divisive identity politics that question the belonging of non-white and mixed-race Britons.
​Addressing party members and delegates, Badenoch, who represents the constituency of North West Essex, condemned comments made by right-wing politicians questioning whether individuals from immigrant backgrounds born in the UK can truly be considered English.
​”I don’t want to live in a country run by people who threaten journalists, who call veterans traitors, and debate whether my mixed-race children are English,” Badenoch told the packed arena.
​Badenoch warned against allowing political discourse to retreat into racial division, drawing a stark line between the Conservative Party’s values and those of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
​”They are not like us. We are not like them. We are different. We are the Conservative Party,” she asserted, emphasizing that patriotism and British identity should unite citizens rather than divide them by heritage.
​To illustrate her point, Badenoch brought up the national football team, voicing concern over how racial commentary affects younger generations watching international sports.
​”I don’t want to explain to my son when we’re watching our brilliant England team play football that some people don’t think our Black players are English,” she said.
​Recalling former England international players such as Ian Wright and John Barnes, Badenoch argued that their English identity was accepted during their playing careers without the public challenges seen today. “I remember back in the day when Ian Wright and John Barnes were playing, nobody was questioning whether they were English,” she noted. “We certainly didn’t have sitting MPs questioning whether they were English.”
​Badenoch’s speech comes as political parties maneuver over immigration, national security, and social cohesion. Earlier in the week, in a broadcast interview with Sky News political editor Beth Rigby on Tuesday, October 6, Badenoch similarly rejected rhetoric that risks making multi-ethnic families feel alien in their own country.
​While Reform UK spokespersons have routinely argued that their platform focuses on border control and national sovereignty rather than race, Badenoch’s firm stand signals an effort by the Conservative leadership to draw a clear moral and policy boundary against far-right identity politics while consolidating her party’s stance on integration and national unity.
