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UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, condemns what she describes as racist attacks after a former senior aide to Nigel Farage called her a “Nigerian scammer”.
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Raheem Kassam accused Badenoch of using her Nigerian background to advance her political career, prompting her to accuse Reform UK politicians of exploiting her race for political gains.
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Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick and party leader Nigel Farage refuse to describe the comments as racist, although Farage admits they were “over the top”.
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Labour Party criticises Reform UK’s response, describing the condemnation of racism as a matter of basic decency amid growing political rivalry between the Conservatives and Reform UK.
October 30, (THEWILL) – A political controversy has erupted in the United Kingdom after Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, accused politicians and associates of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of racist attacks following a social media post describing her as a “Nigerian scammer”.
Badenoch condemned the remarks, which referenced her Nigerian heritage, saying the attacks would not succeed in undermining her political standing, while accusing Reform UK figures of attempting to exploit her race for political advantage.
She made the remarks during an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday, following a series of social media attacks against her by Raheem Kassam, a former senior aide to Farage.
Kassam, who previously served as editor-in-chief of Breitbart News, described Badenoch as an “unrelenting scammer” and accused her of using her Nigerian background to advance her political career.
In one of his posts, Kassam wrote: “How are people still falling for this Nigerian scammer? Don’t give her your credit card number and bank account details!”
Responding to the comments, Badenoch said they reflected the character of those making the attacks and accused Reform UK politicians of devoting more attention to personal criticism than policies affecting the lives of Britons.
“I think it just shows the sort of people they are. I think they think that maybe using my race is a way for them to improve their standing. Britain is not a racist country, and because it’s not a racist country, their racist attacks and using my race as an attack form is not going to work,” she said
Farage, Jenrick Refuse to Condemn Remarks
The controversy has also drawn criticism over the response of Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman, who declined to condemn Kassam’s comments when questioned during an ITV interview.
Asked whether he considered the remarks racist, Jenrick said he did not, although he acknowledged that they could be regarded as unpleasant or rude.
“It’s not my place to police everybody’s tweets who may or may not be a supporter of Reform,” he said.
Jenrick also referred to a separate controversy surrounding Badenoch’s claim that she received an offer from Stanford University at the age of 16 to undertake a pre-medical course.
Badenoch has maintained that she received the offer but acknowledged that she no longer has the relevant documents.
Farage also dismissed suggestions that Kassam’s comments were racist during an interview with the BBC’s *Breakfast* programme.
He argued that referring to someone who grew up in Nigeria was not racist.
However, he subsequently acknowledged that the remarks were “over the top”, while maintaining that he did not believe they were intentionally racist.
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Labour Criticises Reform UK Response
The Labour Party criticised the response from Reform UK figures, particularly their refusal to condemn the remarks.
A Labour spokesman said calling out racism was not a matter of political affiliation but an issue of “basic decency”.
The controversy comes amid heightened political rivalry between Badenoch’s Conservative Party and Reform UK, which has been seeking to attract voters who previously supported the Conservatives.
Reform UK has emerged as a significant challenger to the Conservatives in Britain’s right-wing political landscape, with both parties competing for support among voters on issues including immigration, the economy and public services.
Badenoch, who was born in London and spent part of her childhood in Nigeria, became leader of the Conservative Party in November 2024.
Her emergence as Conservative leader made her the first Black woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom. She has since led the party amid increasing competition from Reform UK under Farage.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
