Kemi Badenoch’s election is evidence of strong meritocracy, say some activists and public figures, while others question her ideology

Kemi Badenoch’s election as Conservative party leader may have been somewhat eclipsed by the US election, but it nonetheless represents a political milestone. Her positioning as a “culture warrior” is, to some, proof not of a changing Conservative party but one with a new face for old instincts.

Here, the Guardian asks black and minority ethnic campaigners, as well as public and political figures, what it means for the Tories to have a black leader.