Kemi Badenoch Blasts ‘Weird’ Labour Ad Merging Her Face with Farage’s in Bizarre Election Stunt
Kemi Badenoch has hit back at a strange new Labour campaign ad that merges her face with Nigel Farage’s, calling it “weird” and “nonsensical” during a Sunday TV interview. The image, which has been doing the rounds on social media, shows half of her face blended with Farage’s, with a bold message claiming the Tories and Reform UK are “closer than you think.” It’s part of Labour’s push ahead of the local elections on 1 May, encouraging voters to steer clear of the right-wing parties.
Speaking on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Badenoch didn’t hold back. “That’s just weird isn’t it? I mean, look at that, it doesn’t make any sense,” she said, clearly baffled by the visual.
She went on to say the image alone showed how flimsy the argument was, adding: “I think even just looking at that picture shows that they’re trying to make an argument that doesn’t work.”
While Labour is trying to paint Reform UK and the Conservatives as two sides of the same coin, Badenoch was quick to point out that the existence of Reform itself proves otherwise. “Of course there are huge differences between us and Reform. If there weren’t there wouldn’t be a Reform party,” she explained, according to the Express.
She also tried to steer the conversation back to what she sees as the real issue: local governance. “What I’m saying now is that we need to make sure that local people understand that what they are voting for now is not an opinion poll, but who’s going to run their local services,” she said. “And if they vote for anything other than Conservative they could end up like Birmingham where there are rats running around and rubbish piling up on the street.”
The ad wasn’t just a talking point for Badenoch — even Sky News host Trevor Phillips found it questionable. Confronting Labour minister Darren Jones about the imagery, Phillips described it as “distasteful” and “unpleasant.”
“It’s distasteful isn’t it?” he asked. But Jones didn’t seem to agree, simply replying, “Why?” Phillips pushed again: “I think the overlay of these two people’s faces seems to me unpleasant.” Still, Jones wasn’t buying it, asking again, “Why?” Phillips held his ground, saying, “It just seems unpleasant to me.”
Jones defended the ad, saying: “I think what it’s showing is you’ve got Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Reform party and the Conservatives, who are essentially one and the same thing.”
The exchange made for uncomfortable viewing, with both sides doubling down on their takes — Labour leaning into shock tactics, and the Conservatives calling foul. With the local elections just weeks away, it’s clear that things are getting personal — and a bit surreal.