Badenoch says ‘racist attacks’ will not work after ‘Nigerian scammer’ comments

Kemi Badenoch said “racist attacks” on her are “not going to work”, after a former aide to Nigel Farage called her a “Nigerian scammer”.

The Conservative Party leader was asked about the jibe made in a social media post by Raheem Kassam, and about the refusal by Tory-to-Reform defector Robert Jenrick to condemn the remarks.

Mr Kassam has targeted Mrs Badenoch in a series of posts, including calling her a “Nigerian scammer” and saying not to “give her your credit card number”.

Mrs Badenoch suggested Reform might think “using my race is a way for them to improve their standing”.

She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “I think it just shows the sort of people they are.

“I keep telling people that Reform politicians are not like Conservative politicians, and I want the Reform voters who were Conservatives to come home.

“This is what they’re spending their time on. They’re not talking about how they’re going to make people’s lives better. They’re spending most of their time attacking me. You’d think that I was the prime minister.

“I think they think that maybe using my race is a way for them to improve their standing.

“Britain is not a racist country and because it’s not a racist country, their racist attacks and using my race as an attack form is not going to work.”

Of Mr Jenrick, she said: “He’s not one of my MPs. He’s not my problem anymore. He’s Nigel Farage’s problem.”

Former Ukip adviser Mr Kassam posted a series of tweets attacking Mrs Badenoch as a “scammer” and highlighting her Nigerian background, including that she grew up there, at the weekend.

“Kemi Badenoch is an unrelenting scammer, and she has used her Nigerian background as a means by which to advance her career when it suits her,” he wrote.

He has also targeted her in previous posts, saying: “How are people still falling for this Nigerian scammer?

“Don’t give her your credit card number and bank account details!”

Speaking to ITV after Mrs Badenoch, Mr Jenrick again refused to condemn the comments.

Asked if he thought they were racist, he said: “I don’t think they were… were they unpleasant or were they rude? Maybe, but it’s not my place to police everybody’s tweets who may or may not be a supporter of Reform.

“Obviously Kemi is of Nigerian heritage and she has told some pretty appalling lies in her career, like saying that she had been offered a scholarship to Stanford university to do a pre-med course when she wasn’t.”

Mrs Badenoch has insisted she received an offer from the university aged 16 but no longer has the relevant documents, after the Guardian cast doubt on the claim.

Earlier this week, Mr Farage also dodged questions about whether he thought Mr Kassam’s comments were racist.

“I don’t think saying somebody grew up in Nigeria is racist,” he told BBC Breakfast.

After a back and forth, he said: “Do I think the comment was over the top? Yes, I do. Do I think it was intentionally racist? No, I don’t.”

It comes after Suella Braverman – another high-profile Tory who switched to Reform – sparked a row over racism when she suggested only white people can be English.

Mrs Badenoch hit out at in her speech to conference earlier this month, accusing Reform of wanting to “debate whether my mixed-race children are English”.

A Labour spokesperson said: “Sometimes Robert Jenrick must look in the mirror and not recognise himself.

“He can’t even call out blatant racism against his former party leader.

“Calling out racism isn’t a matter of party politics. It’s about basic decency.”