Kemi Badenoch
Olukemi Olufunto "Kemi" Badenoch (/ˈbeɪdnɒk/ BAYD-nok; née Adegoke, 2 January 1980) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Business and Trade since 2023 and President of the Board of Trade and Minister for Women and Equalities since 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Saffron Walden in Essex since 2017.
The Right Honourable Kemi Badenoch MP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Official portrait, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for Business and Trade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 7 February 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Grant Shapps | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of the Board of Trade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 6 September 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Liz Truss Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Anne-Marie Trevelyan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Women and Equalities | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 25 October 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Nadhim Zahawi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of State for International Trade | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 6 September 2022 – 7 February 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Liz Truss Rishi Sunak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Anne-Marie Trevelyan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Office abolished | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Alan Haselhurst | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 27,594 (43.7%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the London Assembly as the 4th Additional Member | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 May 2016 – 8 June 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Gareth Bacon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Susan Hall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the London Assembly as the 9th Additional Member | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 16 September 2015 – 5 May 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Victoria Borwick | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Shaun Bailey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke 2 January 1980 Wimbledon, London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Conservative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Hamish Badenoch (m. 2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation |
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| Website | kemibadenoch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In 2012, Badenoch unsuccessfully contested a seat on the London Assembly, but was appointed an Assembly Member after Victoria Borwick resigned upon becoming an MP in 2015. A supporter of Brexit in the 2016 referendum, Badenoch was elected to the House of Commons in 2017. After Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019, Badenoch was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families. In the February 2020 reshuffle, she was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Equalities. In September 2021, she was promoted to Minister of State for Equalities and appointed Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities.
In July 2022, Badenoch resigned from Government and stood unsuccessfully to replace Johnson in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election. Following Liz Truss becoming Prime Minister in September 2022, Badenoch was appointed as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade and was sworn in to the Privy Council; she was reappointed to the Cabinet by Truss's successor, Rishi Sunak, the following month.
In a February 2023 Cabinet reshuffle, Badenoch assumed the position of Secretary of State for Business and Trade following the merging of the Department for International Trade with elements of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Badenoch retained the responsibilities of Equalities Minister.