Michael Gove backs Kemi Badenoch in Tory leadership race

‘Brave, principled, brilliant and kind,’ says former levelling up secretary of candidate

Former levelling up secretary Michael Gove has backed Kemi Badenoch in the Tory leadership race.

He described the ex-minister as “brave, principled, brilliant and kind”, and said she “didn’t flinch” after leading on the government’s response to Tony Sewell’s controversial Commission on Racial and Ethnic disparities report.

Mr Gove said: “Kemi doesn’t just win the argument, she delivers - on getting the Whitehall machine to embark on new policies and on levelling up Britain.

“Now she has the opportunity to use her first class brain to fix the big problems facing our country.”

Writing in The Sun, he added: “As a Tory leader, she would be Sir Keir Starmer’s worst nightmare.

“There is so much we need to fix. From processing passports and driving licences to defence procurement and science investment - we need someone with Kemi’s focus, intellect and no-bulls*** drive.”

The former equalities minister has promised “limited government” and “a focus on the essentials”.

She supports lower taxes “to boost growth and productivity, accompanied by tight spending discipline”.

Writing in The Times, she also hit out at “identity politics” and said Boris Johnson was “a symptom of the problems we face, not the cause of them”.

She said governing Britain today requires “a nimble centre-right vision” that “can achieve things despite entrenched opposition from a cultural establishment that will not accept that the world has moved on from Blairism”.

PA