Badenoch vs Jenrick: The final Tory leadership candidates unpacked, from spats to schooling

The Conservative leadership race has reached its final stage as just two candidates face each other in the decisive vote in November.

Following the surprise knock-out of James Cleverly, Conservative members will now vote between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick to become the next party leader and shadow prime minister.

Both MPs have been making their pitches to members ahead of voting on 31 October. The leader will be announced on 2 November, ending a race that will have lasted over 100 days.

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Both candidates are more aligned with the right of the party, sparking division among members and MPs about the direction one of them is likely to take the party. The two are now warring to distinguish themselves from one another, as polls put them almost level.

Here’s everything you need to know about the final two Conservative leader candidates:

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MP for North West Essex since 2017 (previously Saffron Walden), Kemi Badenoch became business secretary in 2023 following several promotions. She is now the shadow housing minister in the Conservative opposition.

Ms Badenoch is considered to be on the right of the Conservative Party, and during her time in Commons has become well-known for her controversial “anti-woke” views. She has previously taken aim at gender identity services, critical race theory and migration in Commons and media appearances.

Most recently, Ms Badenoch had a public spat with David Tennant after the Doctor Who star said he wished she would “shut up” while accepting an allyship award at the British LGBT Awards.

Responding, during her leadership launch, the MP replied “no, I will not shut up,” adding: “When you have that type of cultural establishment trying to keep Conservatives down, you need someone like me who’s not afraid of Doctor Who, or whoever, and who’s going to take the fight to them.”

Born in Wimbledon to Nigerian parents, Ms Badenoch studied an IT and engineering-related degree at the University of Sussex. After several years working in the IT sector and then retraining in law, Ms Badenoch entered politics when she joined the London Assembly in 2015.

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Robert Jenrick has been MP for Newark since 2014, and served as housing secretary and immigration secretary during previous Conservative administrations.

He was once seen as an ally of incumbent leader Rishi Sunak, but turned on him over issues such as immigration and housebuilding towards the end of his premiership. Like Ms Badenoch, Mr Jenrick is also seen as politically aligned with the right of the party.

He is also not free from past controversy. In January 2020 as housing secretary, Mr Jenrick came under criticism for approving a £1 billion luxury housing development in East London proposed by Conservative donor Richard Desmond.

A judicial review found that the approval was “unlawful by reason of apparent bias“.

Launching his leadership bid, Mr Jenrick took aim at “people who despise the West, who disdain British culture and history ... who deny basic biology and common sense, and who dogmatically oppose everything that we Conservatives hold dear.”