well . i can't hear. it's 8 well. i can't hear. it's 8 pm. this is gb news , britain's news this is gb news, britain's news channel exclusively tonight robert jenrick and kemi badenoch. the final two contenders in the race to lead the conservative party. we've just heard from robert jenrick as he made his pitch to conservative party members here in the room and at home, and next up it's kemi badenoch. she'll face questions from our live studio audience here in westminster. this is decision time, the race to lead .

time, the race to lead. the. good evening. i'm christopher hope live from the heart of westminster. we'll hear very shortly from kemi badenoch as she makes her pitch to join the conservative to lead and join lead. lead the conservative party. you can still get involved and join the debate by going to gbnews.com/yoursay or by scanning the qr code that's on the screen right now. but right now it's kemi badenoch turn to take the floor and make her opening remarks. thank you . her opening remarks. thank you. >> this is not a general election. we had one of those already and we lost this leadership contest is not a test of who can make the biggest promises. it is about character.

it is about conviction . we are it is about conviction. we are not in government anymore. it doesn't matter what our policies are right now. we cannot deliver them. we are in opposition . so them. we are in opposition. so let's use that time wisely . let's use that time wisely. let's not make the same mistake that the labour party made. making lots of promises, waiting and hanging around until the other side lose. we can see where that's got them, what we need to do is come up with a plan that is based on our principles , conservative principles, conservative principles, conservative principles, the principles that unite all of us in this room and those watching at home. freedom, personal responsibility, the importance of family. that's what unites us. that is what is going to get us back into government . there is no

government. there is no point having policies without trust. we need to pick a leader who can earn back the trust of the british people. we need to pick a leader in this contest who can save the conservative party. my message is not just for all of us here. it is not just for party members. it is also for those of you watching at home, those of you watching at home, those of you who wanted to vote conservative but felt that you couldn't . i need your support couldn't. i need your support too . i need your support because too. i need your support because the system is broken. i need your support because we need to renew our party so that we can renew our party so that we can renew our party so that we can renew our country . the problems renew our country. the problems of this age are getting bigger and bigger. soaring debt, global mass migration, stagnant growth,

and ageing society, a rapid a rapid technological change. this broken system needs renewal. it needs people who can deliver that, and that requires a leader who has consistently demonstrated conviction and a track record of delivery that you can trust . i want to build you can trust. i want to build a brighter future for our country, but for us to do that, we need to get our act together and get our act together fast. i want to help a new generation to build homes and families, to build careers, start businesses to acquire capital, property, investments and security . but investments and security. but this broken system is going to need an engineer to fix it. i am an engineer who . but i cannot an engineer who. but i cannot fix it without your help. that

is why i am asking for your support today. together we can do this together we can fix the system that is broken. together we can renew. thank you . we can renew. thank you. >> kevin badenoch. there with her pitch to members both here and in the wider country. the first question is from reese fox from enfield north. reese, where is reese? there. we wait for the microphone and there we go. >> how will you restore public confidence in the party's ability to govern ? ability to govern? >> thank you for your question. this is exactly what i have been talking about. the public removed us from government because they felt that we were not competent, and that we were not competent, and that we were not delivering on our promises. the answer is not to make new promises . the answer is to do promises. the answer is to do the job they have given us properly, and that is the job of opposition. if we can show that

we have integrity, if we can show that we share their values, if we can show that we have learned the lessons of the past, then they will give us another chance. that is why i'm standing for renewal. that is why i am not throwing out lots of policies. i have great policy ideas, but i don't believe that what's in my head is what's going to get us out of the mess we are in. we are going to need the whole party. and quite frankly, the people who for vote us and are me, that is going to help us get back into government. that is what the british people want to see. they want to see us working on ourselves and delivering conviction. politics. >> isn't that part of the problem, kemi badenoch because you don't want to produce the policies which your colleague robert robert jenrick has done. you offering principles, ideas , you offering principles, ideas, themes. so you're asking these people here to vote for you on trust that you'll do what you say you'll do without any actual nuts and bolts, and that's the

choice they've got to make. >> well, they can trust me because i have a record of delivery. i delivered the biggest trade deal that we have had since we left the european union. i delivered strong championing of conservative values when lots of vulnerable women and children were attacked. i am somebody who, you know, delivers. i am somebody who , you know, has a track who, you know, has a track record so you can trust me . but record so you can trust me. but the policies, the policies will come. but what we can't do now, after we've had a whole few years of infighting and squabbling, is just bring out a batch of new policies. we have to get everybody together. we have to make sure that not just the m.p.s, but also party members have a stake and believe in the offer which we are giving . in the offer which we are giving. i am not here to impose just what's in my head on everyone in the party. that is not what it needs. that is not how we unite the party. i know so many of you are tired and sick of the infighting and the squabbling. it happens when we don't get a

consensus before we start proposing things to the public. i want us to build a consensus first. so i'm asking you to trust me. because of how i worked, all of the ministers who worked, all of the ministers who worked with me in my department are supporting me. don't believe all the things that other camps say. i am somebody who works well in a team , and i want to well in a team, and i want to build a big team for the future . build a big team for the future. >> you mentioned mentioned colleagues in the department. i've got to say that reports are that you're difficult to work with, that you had dreadful meetings, officials telling the guardian newspaper that they were bullied. you were bullying. they were traumatised by your behaviour. how do you respond to this? i mean, we don't hear the same about robert jenrick. do we? >> well, i don't know how many of you believe what you read in the guardian, but if you if you do, then you wouldn't be here on gb views. but more seriously, more seriously, i am somebody who defends other people from bullies . the people who are bullies. the people who are causing the problems are the ones that i got out of the

department. of course, they've run to the guardian to tell lies about me, but i know that i did what was right. i know that i delivered. there were never any issues in my department. i delivered when we had difficult issues like the post office scandal, for example. people knew that we'd already been working on it. who was the person who got rid of the regulations from the eu? some people will say, i didn't get, get, get rid of enough. i got rid of the ones we wanted to get rid of the ones we wanted to get rid of. i am somebody who gets stuff done, and if i am somebody who can get all of the people who can get all of the people who worked with her in the department supporting her in the leadership contest, then you can bet on me. >> i mean, what is what is kevin badenoch? are you someone who would pick a fight with your reflection in the in a lift , or reflection in the in a lift, or are you someone who's avoiding the limelight? you haven't been seen at all in the media, which is your choice since last when you on the media now? well, not. not sinc