Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has defended the English identity of her mixed-race children, saying she does not want to live in a country where their nationality is questioned.
Badenoch, the MP for North West Essex, made the remarks during her speech at the Conservative Party Conference 2026 on Wednesday, while criticising Reform UK MPs over what she described as attempts to question people’s identities.
“I don’t want to live in a country run by people who threaten journalists, who call veterans traitors, and debate whether my mixed-race children are English,” she said.
She said she did not want her son to grow up questioning whether black players representing England were regarded as 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 said.
Badenoch cited former England internationals Ian Wright and John Barnes, saying their English identity had not been subjected to similar scrutiny during their playing careers.
“I remember back in the day when Ian Wright and John Barnes were playing, nobody was questioning whether they were English,” Badenoch said.
“We certainly didn’t have sitting MPs questioning whether they were English,” she added.
The Conservative leader warned against what she described as efforts to reverse progress in Britain, saying the country should reject attempts to create divisions over people’s identities.
“We must not let these people take us backwards. That is not the country we are,” she said.
She also accused Reform UK MPs of openly challenging people’s identities, while contrasting the party’s approach with that of the Conservatives.
“Reform MPs are openly questioning people’s identity. They are not like us. We are not like them,” Badenoch said.
“We are different. We are the Conservative Party,” she added.