Kemi Badenoch has claimed she grew up in a middle class family but “became working class” after securing a job at McDonald’s as a teenager.
The former business secretary, who is campaigning to become the next Conservative Party leader, said there was a “humility” to the job she took on at 16, describing days cleaning toilets and “flipping burgers”.
She told Chopper’s Political Podcast with Christopher Hope that her time at McDonald’s was the “first time I ever interacted properly with people who didn’t come from the sort of background that I came from”.
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Ms Badenoch said: “I grew up in a middle class family, but I became working class when I was 16 working at McDonald’s.
“Just understanding how many people there were single parents, and they were working there to make ends meet.
“There’s a humility there as well. You had to wash toilets, there were no special cleaners coming in. You had to wash toilets, you had to flip burgers, you had to handle money.”
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Her comments quickly circulated online, with one Labour MP questioning Ms Badenoch’s claim that she “became working class”.
Sharing a clip from the podcast, Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, said: “I’m not sure that’s how it works.”
Meanwhile, Irvine Welsh, the author of Trainspotting, said: “I was a council scheme boy but I became upper class when I started shoplifting at Harrods. It just takes enterprise.”
Later in the interview, Ms Badenoch said she “never has gaffes” or has to “apologise for something”.
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She added: “I never have to clarify, because I think very careful about what I say.”
The former business secretary is one of four candidates remaining in the race to replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party.
The other hopefuls are Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly.
The four candidates will give short speeches at the Conservative Party conference later this month, before MPs vote to whittle down the race to two.
A new leader will then be selected by the Tory party membership, which is expected in November.
