Kemi Badenoch wraps Tory leadership run with plugs for Kamala Harris and Taylor Swift

Bizarre speech fails to endorse Truss or Sunak

Former equalities minister praises US vice-president and pop star instead of final two candidates

Kemi Badenoch ended her bid to be the next Conservative leader last night with a bizarre speech in which she plugged Kamala Harris and Taylor Swift instead of endorsing either of the remaining candidates.

The former equalities minister told the audience at the final hustings before members vote that she was a “huge fan” of the US vice-president and the pop star, before wishing the contest’s final two, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, “all the best”.

Badenoch’s decision not to endorse either candidate is likely to be seen as a snub by both camps. Truss and Sunak have been locked in a bitter battle for weeks, with the former foreign secretary currently the frontrunner.

In her speech, Badenoch said she was “proud” of the campaign she had run and that she had “stood up for what I believe in”. She also praised her fellow candidates, saying they were “all talented individuals”.

However, her decision to name-check Harris and Swift was met with some bemusement by members of the audience.