Don't tell me that I am not British: Mrs Badenoch gives Reform both barrels for 'trying to take the UK backwards'

Kemi Badenoch declared herself a 'proud black Briton' on Wednesday as she lashed out at rivals on the Right who say only white people can be English.In the most impassioned part of her speech to the Tory conference, the party's leader accused Reform of wanting to take the UK backwards with outdated views on race.She also branded Nigel Farage's outfit weirdos and criminals - and urged its voters to come back to the Conservative fold.Mrs Badenoch spoke out after her former Cabinet colleague Suella Braverman, who defected to Reform, said last week that she did not consider herself to be English, even though she was born in London.The former home secretary, who is Reform's education spokeswoman, told BBC Question Time: 'Of course I'm not English. I'm not an English person - I am of Asian origin.'Mrs Braverman's parents came from Mauritius and Kenya in the 1960s and she described herself as 'British, of Asian ethnicity'.Reform was also accused of trying to weaponise Mrs Badenoch's own background by highlighting the fact that she grew up in Nigeria. Hitting back in her speech, the Tory leader, who has three children with her husband Hamish, a banker, said: 'I don't want to live in a country run by people who threaten journalists, call veterans traitors and debate whether my mixed-race children are English.'I don't want to explain to my son when we're watching our brilliant England team play football that some people don't think our black players are English.'She claimed that nobody used to question whether or not black footballers such as Ian Wright and John Barnes were English when they played for the national team, adding: 'We must not let these people take us backwards. That is not the country we are. Kemi Badenoch during her speech on the final day of the Conservative Party conference. In the most impassioned part of her speech to the Tory conference, the party’s leader accused Reform of wanting to take the UK backwards with outdated views on race Reform UK's leader Nigel Farage. Kemi also branded Nigel Farage's outfit weirdos and criminals - and urged its voters to come back to the Conservative fold'Reform MPs are openly questioning people's identity. They are not like us - we are not like them.'She reminded delegates of a poster published by the Tories in 1978 that stated: 'Labour says he's black, we say he's British.'She added: 'I don't know whether you've noticed, but I am black. I am British.'I'm proud of my country, I'm proud of our history. All that we have done, and all that we will do in the world.'Our best days are not behind us, and we will not let this country go backwards.'Mrs Badenoch said the country deserved better than Labour, adding: 'Do you know who else deserves better? Reform voters. Many of them are our people. We let them down and we want them to come back home. They deserve better than Reform politicians.'She quipped that a year ago Reform leaders were 'measuring up the curtains for No10', but now some were facing the possibility of prison, citing the party's former Welsh leader Nathan Gill, who was jailed last year for 'taking bribes from Russia'.His successor, Dan Thomas, resigned last month after being arrested, Mrs Badenoch said, while police are investigating donations to Robert Jenrick's 2024 Tory leadership campaign, and payments to a firm controlled by deputy leader Richard Tice. Mrs Badenoch with her husband Hamish who have three children. In her speech she said: 'I don't want to live in a country run by people who threaten journalists, call veterans traitors and debate whether my mixed-race children are English' Nigel Farage with Suella Braverman who defected to Reform this year. Mrs Badenoch spoke out after her former Cabinet colleague said last week that she did not consider herself to be English, even though she was born in LondonShe described the £5million gift received by Nigel Farage from a crypto-billionaire - which is the subject of a parliamentary probe - as 'fishy' and said Reform figures had been caught boasting about 'brown envelopes' in an undercover sting that is being investigated by Scotland Yard.Both Mr Farage and Reform deny any wrongdoing.'Just when you think Reform couldn't get any weirder, there's a convicted fraudster who calls himself Posh George and calls Nigel Farage 'Daddy',' Mrs Badenoch said. 'The circus goes on and on and it will never stop because this is who Reform politicians are. To those who say unite the Right, we are not uniting with that.'But her comments, dashing hopes that the two parties may form an election pact to defeat Labour, came as three opinion polls in recent days showed the Tories were still in third place.Mrs Badenoch acknowledged: 'We have changed our party, but there is still a lot of work to do.'People are looking through the shop window, they like what they see, but let's be honest, not enough of them are buying yet.'She told activists they had to 'get out there every day to make the Conservative case', pointing out that it took the party 13 years to 'turn it around' after the landslide defeat of 1997.But she insisted the Tories were ready to win the next General Election as speculation grows that Andy Burnham may go to the country next spring.Pollster Luke Tryl posted on X: 'That's the toughest I've seen a Tory leader be on Reform since their emergence as a serious political force... taking on claims about Englishness and identity from some Reform politicians. Feels a significant change in approach.'But Mr Farage said: 'Kemi's speech today confirmed what we already knew - she has no vision for the country.'READ MORE: Kemi's family home pledge: Tories promise NO stamp duty when you buy your house, NO mansion tax when you're living in it and NO inheritance tax when the time comes to pass it on QUENTIN LETTS: Kemi's a mother on a mission. Tangle with her at your peril! DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A triumphant Tory conference...and Kemi's battle cry on homes and raceCutting property taxes speaks to something deeply ingrained in our psyche - and will boost the economy too: DANIEL HANNAN READ MORE: From the 'drama queens' of Reform to the 'Paddington Bear PM', we reveal the main themes of Kemi's speechDAN HODGES: This was Kemi's best speech yet - she exploited glaring gaps in Labour policy