Narrow escape: Kemi Badenoch retains seat by 2,610 votes in UK elections

Key Points

• • Kemi Badenoch narrowly won the new North West Essex seat with a majority of 2,610 votes.
  • Badenoch received 19,360 votes, a significant decrease from her 39,714 votes in 2019.
  • 21-year old Labour’s Issy Waite came in second with 16,750 votes.

 

Conservative Kemi Badenoch narrowly secured victory in the newly created North West Essex seat during the General Election, seeing her majority dramatically reduced from 27,594 to just 2,610 votes.

Badenoch, who served as Business and Trade Secretary and Women and Equalities Minister in Rishi Sunak’s government, garnered 19,360 votes. This total is a significant drop from the 39,714 votes she received in 2019 when she defended the former Saffron Walden seat, which she first won in 2017.

Also Read: Kemi Badenoch in Race to Replace Boris Johnson

Labour’s Issy Waite, a 21-year-old student activist from Suffolk, came in second with 16,750 votes, doubling her party’s performance from the 2019 election.

Independent candidate Grant StClair-Armstrong, listed on the ballot as Reform UK’s candidate, placed third with 7,668 votes.

The Liberal Democrat candidate, Smita Rajesh, secured 6,055 votes, while the Green Party’s Edward Gildea received 2,846 votes.

Also Read: UK elections: Sunak’s Conservatives brace for defeat, predict Labour landslide victory

Independents Andrew Green (852), Erik Bonino (699), and Niko Omilana (156) rounded out the list of candidates.

The voter turnout was 68.1 per cent, a decrease from 72.86 per cent in the previous election.

This result marks a significant contrast to the 2019 election, where Badenoch increased her vote share to 63 per cent from 68.1 per cent two years earlier. That year, she became the first woman to represent the Saffron Walden constituency, a seat that had been held by the Conservatives since 1922.

The Election

The 2024 UK General Election has been characterised by significant political shifts and challenges.

The Conservative Party, led by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, faced increasing pressure from both Labour and emerging political groups. Economic concerns, public services, and the UK’s stance on international trade were pivotal issues influencing voter decisions.

The Labour Party, under Keir Starmer’s leadership, capitalised on public dissatisfaction, particularly among younger voters, as evidenced by the strong performance of candidates like Issy Waite.

Kemi Badenoch’s narrow victory in North West Essex highlights the changing political landscape and the challenges faced by established politicians in maintaining their strongholds. Her reduced majority underscores the growing influence of opposition parties and independent candidates, reflecting a more dynamic and competitive political environment in the UK.

As the political climate continues to evolve, the results of this election will likely have significant implications for future policy directions and the overall balance of power within the UK government.

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