“I’m so thick-skinned - UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch says Argentinian president would be the ‘template’ for her government"

Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the UK Conservative Party, has expressed her admiration for Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, stating that she seeks to follow his model in significantly reducing the size of government.

Badenoch referred to Milei as a "template," highlighting his straightforwardness with voters and his capacity to deliver tangible results.

Milei gained notoriety during his 2023 election campaign for his dramatic promises, which included using a chainsaw to symbolize cuts to state expenditure.

When asked if the UK requires a leader like Milei, and whether she could fill that role, Badenoch, whose party is currently polling in third place, responded affirmatively: “Yes and yes.”

In an interview with the Financial Times, she emphasized that the Conservative Party should not merely represent disillusionment, but instead focus on providing hope, contrasting her vision with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

However, she acknowledged that the public might not yet be ready to forgive the Conservative Party for the political turmoil of recent years, noting that Reform UK is “stealing everyone’s oxygen.”

Badenoch suggested that the public would eventually grow weary of Farage’s rhetoric, arguing that he is positioning his party to the left of the Conservatives on issues like welfare.

She clarified that her own agenda, which she is pressured to elaborate on, would not simply involve cutting parts of the state but would instead assess the functions and rationale behind government actions.

Despite facing potential challenges to her leadership amid dissatisfaction within the party, Badenoch dismissed concerns about internal strife. “I can’t spend all my time worrying about regicide. I would lose my mind,” she remarked. “I’m so thick-skinned that I often don’t even notice attempts to undermine me. That’s incredibly helpful in this role.”