Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader and MP for North West Essex, told the 2026 Conservative Party Conference that she refuses to live in a nation where the English identity of her mixed‑race children is disputed, emphasizing that such challenges undermine national unity.
**What did Badenoch say about her children’s identity?**
She declared, “I don’t want to live in a country run by people who threaten journalists, who call veterans traitors, and debate whether my mixed‑race children are English.” She added that she would not have to explain to her son, while watching the England football team, that some people doubt the Englishness of black players.
**How did she reference past footballers?**
Badenoch recalled former England internationals Ian Wright and John Barnes, noting that “nobody was questioning whether they were English” during their careers, and that no MPs then challenged their national identity.
**What criticism was directed at Reform UK?**
She accused Reform UK MPs of openly questioning people’s identities, drawing a clear line between their approach and that of the Conservative Party. “Reform MPs are openly questioning people’s identity. They are not like us. We are different. We are the Conservative Party,” she asserted.
**Why does she warn against division?**
Badenoch cautioned that allowing such identity debates to persist would push Britain backwards, stating, “We must not let these people take us backwards. That is not the country we are.”