Kemi Badenoch says she does not feel Nigerian and no longer has passport
The Conservative Party leader was born in the UK but grew up in Nigeria.
When the country's economy collapsed in the 1990s, her parents took advantage of her British passport to get her out, sending her at the age of 16 to live with a family friend in south London to continue her education.
She said she had not renewed her Nigerian passport in two decades in an interview with the Rosebud podcast.
'I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s.
'I don't identify with it any more, most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to.'
She said she had to get a visa to visit the country when her father died, which she described as a 'big fandango'.
'I'm Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents… but by identity I'm not really.
'I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I'm very interested in what happens there.
'But home is where my now family is, and my now family is my children, it's my husband and my brother and his children, in-laws. The Conservative party is very much part of my family – my extended family, I call it,' she said.
The North West Essex MP said her early experiences in Nigeria shaped her political outlook, including 'why I don't like socialism'.
'And I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there,' she added.
The Tory leader said the reason she returned to the UK as a teenager was a 'a very sad one'.
'It was that my parents thought: 'There is no future for you in this country'.'
She has not experienced racial prejudice in Britain 'in any meaningful form', she said.
'I knew I was going to a place where I would look different to everybody, and I didn't think that that was odd,' she said.
'What I found actually quite interesting was that people didn't treat me differently, and it's why I'm so quick to defend the UK whenever there are accusations of racism.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Reeves acknowledges voter disappointment amid fresh call for wealth tax
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says that Labour must deliver change to earn victory in the next election, acknowledging that some voters are disappointed with the party's progress. She said she is also 'impatient for change' but stressed that ministers cannot implement everything at once, highlighting her responsibility for financial prudence. These remarks coincide with growing public concern over Sir Keir Starmer 's government, whose approval rating recently reached an all-time low. Ms Reeves defended the government's tax policy, saying it has found the right balance despite the challenge of addressing public finance deficits. The discussion follows former Labour shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds' call for a wealth tax, as recent polling indicates a significant perception of chaos within Sir Keir's administration.
Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Anger grows at 'cover-up' of two Afghan asylum seekers being charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl - after police advised authorities not to reveal their background
Anger is growing over a 'cover-up' after two Afghan asylum seekers were charged with the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl, but police advised authorities not to reveal their background. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was charged with the rape of the underage girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. While a second man, Mohammad Kabir, also 23, was charged with aiding and abetting rape, as well as strangulation and kidnap of the girl, who is now receiving specialist care. Despite the huge interest the incident has caused in Nuneaton, sources told the Mail on Sunday that Warwickshire Police advised local councillors and officials not to reveal the asylum seeker background of the two suspects, for fear of 'inflaming community tensions'. Now Reform MP, Lee Anderson, has taken to social media to express his outrage at the handling of the situation branding it a 'cover-up'. Writing on X he said: 'Trying to cover up again.' His anger was matched by the leader of his party, Nigel Farage, who said last night: 'I am afraid, police and elected officials are acting against the British people.' It comes as the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Andy Cooke warned that there is 'every possibility' of a repeat of the 2024 summer riots amid deepening divisions in communities. Local councillor George Finch also waded in, saying: 'Yesterday, I wrote to urge the Home Secretary and the Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police to disclose the immigration statuses of the two men charged in connection with the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton on 22nd July.' Despite this, Warwickshire Police has defended its position, saying in a statement: 'Where relevant, sensitive information around locations, details of the crime and policing activity to catch offenders can be shared, with a warning that this is sensitive or confidential information and disclosure by those being briefed could affect future court hearings.' One local who contacted the Mail also accused the police of a 'cover-up', in an effort to suppress information which the public have a right to know. Mulakhil, who crossed the Channel on a small boat, allegedly raped the victim in the Cheverel Street of Nuneaton, between 8.30 – 9.45pm on Tuesday, July 22. The MoS has obtained CCTV footage from a resident's house near Cheverel Road which appears to show a man walking with a girl. Warwickshire Police said Mulakhil was arrested four days after the incident last Saturday, and charged the following day. He appeared before Coventry Magistrates Court on Monday charged with two counts of vaginal and oral rape of the victim. Mulakhil has been remanded in custody to appear before Warwick Crown Court on August 26. Kabir was arrested on Thursday, and charged with aiding and abetting rape of the 12-year-old, as well as strangulation and kidnap. He appeared before Coventry Magistrates Court yesterday (sat), and was remanded in custody until his appearance before Warwick Crown Court on August 26. Warwickshire Police said in a statement: 'We continue to appeal for witnesses who were in the Cheverel Street area between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Tuesday 22 July and who saw anything of interest to please come forward.' Inquiries by the MoS in Nuneaton revealed that both Mulakhil and Kabir lived in two rented houses of multiple occupation (HMO) about 70 yards from each other on adjoining streets. Both properties are managed by Serco, which has accommodated around five asylum seekers in each house. Serco has a £1.9billion contract with the Home Office to house asylum seekers across the country. When the MoS contacted the owner of the property Mulakhil lived in, she said: 'I don't know anything because Serco manage the house completely.' When we asked Serco if they were aware of Mulakhil and Kabir, the company said in a statement: 'We do not confirm individual addresses, nor the names of people in properties we manage.' Gorwan Muhammad Ali, 27, an Iraqi Kurd who lives in the same house as Kabir, said: 'I have not seen Kabir for a few days. The police have come round the house. Kabir came to this country to work.' Ali added that all residents in the house get their bills paid by Serco, and are given £49 per week as spending money. Last night, councillors from the Tory party, as well as Labour and Reform – which controls Warwickshire County Council – said they did not know much about the incident, despite the huge interest. They blamed the police for not sharing any information with them. But a source told the MoS certain councillors and officials were informed by the police about the incident, and were advised not to reveal to the public that the two people charged were asylum seekers. The source said police feared the revelation could cause tensions in the community. The man, who did not want to be identified, said: 'It is horrific what's happened. But even though the police have done door-to-door enquiries and put out an announcement about the rape charge, they are refusing to say the details of who they are investigating or their background.' Warwickshire Police said in their statement: 'We work to hold offenders to account and will always do everything in our power to present a robust case to the courts and protect the integrity of court proceedings. 'Once someone is charged with an offence, we follow national guidance. This guidance does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status. 'As our investigation progresses, the victim remains at the forefront of our focus, and we will continue to work with our partners – providing updates and working alongside the people of Nuneaton.' In recent months, other asylum seekers living in tax-payer-funded accommodation have been charged with serious sexual offences across the country. In some cases, local politicians have accused their council and the police of a 'cover-up', by trying to keep incidents secret, for fear they will inflame community tensions.
The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
Greenpeace targets Starmer and Lammy over Gaza with ‘wanted' posters
Greenpeace activists plastered Westminster tube station in London with anti-Sir Keir Starmer and David Lammy stickers and 'Wanted' posters on Saturday. The protest accused the prime minister and the foreign secretary of 'fuelling genocide' in Gaza. Greenpeace UK called on the government to stop selling weapons to Israel. The action follows Sir Keir's statement that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire and takes steps towards long-term peace. Watch the video in full above.
