Overview

• Kemi Badenoch, newly elected leader of the UK Conservative Party, is visiting Washington, D.C. to strengthen ties with the Republican Party and the incoming Trump administration.
• Badenoch will deliver a keynote speech at the International Democracy Union forum, a gathering of center-right political figures co-founded by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
• Her visit includes meetings with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, though it remains unclear if she will meet President-elect Donald Trump directly.
• The trip highlights Badenoch's focus on re-establishing the Conservative Party's center-right principles and building relationships with global right-wing allies.
• Badenoch's outreach comes as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also seeks to solidify relations with the U.S., despite past criticisms of Trump by Labour figures such as Foreign Secretary David Lammy.