On Thursday, a curious article appeared in The Spectator, authored under the pseudonym “Steerpike”, titled “could these be the online comments of young Kemi Badenoch”. The piece explained that old comments on “Naijablog” under the name “Kemi” were being circulated in Westminster, speculating that it was a “poison dart” being sent at the frontrunner. Fraser Nelson, Editor of The Spectator, followed up with a post on X which posed the following question: 

The remarks are now being shared in Westminster – but are they damaging? Or just confirm that she might just believe the stuff she’s been saying? 

 Parliament Square is against offence archaeology, but he does find it interesting how Steerpike has framed “Kemi’s” comments. The first blogpost that the article links to, from 12th April 2006 titled “The Defensive Reflex”, is about Diane Abott. The Spectator’s write-up refers to Kemi calling Abbott “A racist hypocrite” and referred to her comment about “blue eyed Finnish Nurses” in response to an article that Abbott wrote criticising Nigeria. 

Read the comment thread yourself, though, and you will find “Kemi’s” more lurid descriptions of Dianne Abbott. “Abbott is a big fat fish in a small pond” whose article is “nothing but an ego boost to make pathetic Jamaicans feel slightly less than pathetic”. It is odd that “Steerpike” omitted these comments from their writeup. Did they simply not see them or did they have some interest in maintaining the reputation of Kemi Badenoch, a former employee of The Spectator, and current front-runner for the Tory Leadership?

It is worth remembering that Fraser Nelson and his boss Andrew Neil spent much of this year telling us how crucial it was to block the UAE from acquiring The Spectator to protect its editorial independence and maintain a free press.   

Using harsh language in your late 20s to criticise a risible political figure should not preclude a career in politics. What is more interesting from the “Kemi” comment scandal are the biographical details that the commenter refers to. 

It is difficult to prove that the commenter behind the Abbott comments is Kemi Badenoch — although it’s worth pointing out that at one point on the Naijablog there is an entire article by “Kemi” asking followers to support Kemi Badenoch’s campaign to become the MP for Dulwich and West Norwood. “Regardless of party allegiance, a Nigerian in parliament winning purely on merit and not because of her relatives or by buying the election will be amazing.”  

If it is Kemi, it raises questions about the story she has told about herself in the media. Take the below as an example. “Naijablog” had linked to a Sun article which claimed that Kemi had “fled” Nigeria. 

Perhaps this was something that should have been corrected. Was it? (It is worth noting that this comment, unlike the others, linked to Badenoch’s Blogger profile.)

Kemi has made much of her difficult background. She has said before that she used to have to carry water in rusty buckets, and had to carry a machete to school. A profile by The Times in 2022 interviewed a family friend of hers. He claimed that they would have wanted for nothing. She went to one of the most prestigious private schools in Lagos — International School Lagos.  

It is one thing to publish crass comments about Diane Abbott in your late twenties. It is quite another to have questions raised about your truthfulness regarding your background. Perhaps they need answering.