British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has condemned what she described as racist attacks against her after Raheem Kassam, a former adviser to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, referred to her as a “Nigerian scammer” in social media posts.
Badenoch made the comments during an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Thursday, October 29, 2026, saying she believed her Nigerian background was being used to attack her for political advantage.
She argued that Reform politicians were concentrating on personal attacks rather than explaining how their policies would improve people’s lives. Badenoch said she believed the use of her race as a political weapon would not succeed, adding that Britain was not a racist country.
The controversy began after Kassam posted a series of comments criticising Badenoch and referring to her Nigerian heritage. In one post, he called her a “Nigerian scammer” and warned people against giving her their credit card numbers and bank account details.
Kassam also accused the Conservative leader of using her Nigerian background to advance her career. His remarks prompted criticism from political figures who argued that linking her nationality to alleged dishonesty reinforced harmful stereotypes about Nigerians.
Farage faced questions about the comments during a BBC Breakfast interview earlier in the week. He described the wording as excessive but said he did not believe it was intentionally racist. He also questioned whether referring to someone’s Nigerian upbringing was inherently racist.
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman and a former Conservative politician, also declined to condemn Kassam’s remarks when asked about them in an ITV interview. Jenrick described the comments as potentially unpleasant or rude but said he did not consider it his responsibility to police every social media post by people who might support Reform.
The dispute has intensified political arguments about race, national identity and the language used in public debate in the United Kingdom. Badenoch, who was born in the UK and spent part of her childhood in Nigeria, has previously criticised attempts to question the British identity of people with mixed-race backgrounds.
Kassam has defended his criticism of Badenoch, saying he intended to attack her personally rather than make a racist statement. However, the wording has continued to attract scrutiny because it explicitly connects the allegation of scamming with her Nigerian background.
The incident has added to pressure on Reform UK figures to clarify their position on the remarks and explain how they intend to address concerns about racism in political discourse. The debate also highlights the challenge facing public figures in distinguishing criticism of an individual’s conduct from language that may stigmatise a wider national or ethnic group.
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