Kemi Badenoch faces allegations of orchestrating a social media ploy by portraying Conservative members as ordinary citizens. The criticized Tory leader featured a video with herself and James Cleverly visiting a woman at her home to discuss stamp duty concerns. Despite not explicitly stated in the footage, the woman in the video is identified as Seena Shah, who ran for the Conservatives in the 2019 general election.
During the interaction, Ms. Shah expressed to Ms. Badenoch and Mr. Cleverly that she knew individuals who delayed expanding their families due to stamp duty issues. Also present was Louise McKinlay, the Conservative deputy leader of Essex County Council, whose role was not disclosed.
A source from the Labour party commented, accusing Kemi Badenoch of misleadingly presenting a local Conservative association chair as an ordinary citizen in the staged video. The source suggested that resorting to their own activists to endorse policies reflects the Conservatives’ desperation.
Sharing the video on her Instagram account, Ms. Shah highlighted the impact of stamp duty on families, emphasizing the need for change. Ms. McKinlay nodded in agreement with another individual’s comments about the consequences of the election outcome on their housing decisions.
In her social media post, Ms. Shah, a former Tory candidate and current councillor, discussed her conversation with Kemi Badenoch about economic challenges and the potential benefits of abolishing stamp duty. Mrs. Badenoch reiterated her commitment to eliminating stamp duty if the Conservatives regain power, emphasizing the positive impact it could have on many people’s lives.
In the video, Mrs. Badenoch expressed confidence in the proposed policy, stating it could be transformative for numerous individuals. While Mrs. Badenoch tagged Ms. McKinlay in her social media post featuring the video, Ms. Shah was not mentioned.
The Mirror has reached out to Tory HQ and Ms. McKinlay for their responses to the situation.
