UK Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch Seeks Stronger Ties with U.S. Republicans

Badenoch's Washington visit includes meetings with Republican leaders and a keynote speech at a center-right forum as Trump prepares to take office.

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.