A crushing election defeat last summer, when the Conservative Party did its worst election since the 19th century, led to the party leader Rishi Sunak resigning. Badenoch becomes the party's sixth leader in less than eight and a half years.
Her main task will be to try to restore confidence in the party after it has become increasingly unpopular during the years in power. She won the vote against Robert Jenrick, who is also described as a representative of the right wing of the party.
"Tough challenge"
In a speech on site in London, she says it is an enormous honor to become party leader, but that it is a "tough challenge ahead".
We must be honest that we have made mistakes and lowered our standards. It's time to get to work, it's time to renew, she says.
The 44-year-old former software engineer presents herself as a social reformer, advocating for a free market economy with low taxes and promising to "reboot, restart and reprogram" the British state.
Was business minister
Badenoch also describes herself as a critic of multiculturalism. She has previously been criticized for recently saying that "not all cultures are equally valuable" and for expressing that parental benefits were too high.
Badenoch was business minister in Sunak's government and is a member of parliament for North West Essex, a seat she managed to retain in the election earlier this year. She has impressed party members with her "no-nonsense" attitude, and was mentioned as one of the favorites in British media to succeed Rishi Sunak as party leader.
In July this year, the Labour Party won a landslide victory against the Conservative Party, after 14 years of conservative rule in the UK.
Shortly afterwards, Rishi Sunak, party leader of the Conservative Party (Tory), announced that he would resign. He has, however, continued as party leader until a successor has been clear.
In late July, six people were announced as candidates for the top post. In the final round, two candidates remained – Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick, both representing the right wing of the party.
