Supporters of both Badenoch and Jenrick insist the party, which has been plagued by division in recent years, will unite behind its new leader.

Former minister Chris Philp, who endorsed Badenoch, tells the PA news agency he is "absolutely certain" the party will now be united, while Jenrick supporter Victoria Atkins says the "Conservative family really wants this to work".

Andrew Bowie tells Sky News that Badenoch is a "realist", adding: "Yes, she knows her mind and takes decisions but also brings a team with her."

Image source, EPA

Runner-up Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has called on his supporters to now back Kemi Badenoch.

Posting on X, he says: "Thank you to everyone who supported my vision for a Conservative Party rooted in the common ground of British politics.

"It’s now time for the Conservatives to unite behind Kemi and take the fight to this disastrous Labour government."

We've also had some reaction from Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who has congratulated Kemi Badenoch on the significance of her victory.

"The election of the first Black leader of a major UK political party is a historic moment for the country," he says, in similar remarks to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

But Davey also insists the Conservative Party cannot work well in opposition.

"Voters across the country believe her party is too divided, out-of-touch and unable to accept Conservative failures over the past years," he says.

"The Liberal Democrats will continue to offer the best opposition to the government and fight for a fair deal for Britain."

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

Minutes after Badenoch was declared the winner, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice attacked her, claiming she was "front and centre of a government that failed Britain".

"She said nothing while Rishi Sunak hit hard working people with record immigration, the small boats crisis, the highest taxes for seventy years, record NHS waiting lists and sky high crime," he says.

“Instead of standing up for Britain whilst in government, she stood up for her own career prospects and chauffeur-driven cars.

“She has failed the British public before and she will fail them again as leader of the Conservative Party."

Badenoch will now need to stake out where the Tories standpublished at 12:20 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November

12:20 GMT 2 November

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Is this a shift to the right for the Conservative Party? If you’ll forgive the cliche - time will tell.

That’s because one of the clearest divides between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick during this campaign was that whereas he announced detailed policies, Badenoch made a point of not doing so.

She preferred to speak about her general approach: the state should do less, taxes should be lower, more work should be done on integrating immigrants.

Now that she’s leader, it will become clearer what Badenoch’s approach is going to be.

Issue by issue, parliamentary vote by parliamentary vote, Badenoch will have to stake out where the Conservative Party stands under her leadership.

Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter

Kemi Badenoch's next big decisions will be around who to appoint to her front bench - but some MPs are already ruling themselves out.

Sir Keir Starmer appointed 111 ministers when he took power, but the number of Conservative MPs was reduced to 121 in July's historic defeat, making shadowing all those portfolios tricky.

Just ahead of the result, leadership rival and shadow home secretary James Cleverly said he wouldn't take up an expected offer of a role in her shadow cabinet.

Shadow chancellor Jeremy Hunt has also said he will be "stepping back" from the shadow cabinet, saying the Tories "need t show new faces" to the British public after a "big drubbing" in the election.

Now Steve Barclay has posted on X to announce he will also step down as shadow environment secretary.

He says: "After nine years on the front bench, including the last six in the Cabinet, I have decided to return to the backbenches away from the constraints of front bench life and to have more time as a dad."

Keen to hear more from the new Conservative Party leader and leader of the opposition?

Kemi Badenoch will appear with Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg tomorrow from 09:00 GMT.

You can watch it on BBC One, BBC iPlayer or here on the BBC News website. And we'll be providing live updates and analysis of all the major moments here on the live page.

Image source, bbc

Image source, Getty Images

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed Kemi Badenoch as new Conservative leader.

"The first Black leader of a Westminster party is a proud moment for our country," he says. "I look forward to working with you and your party in the interests of the British people."

Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves was less complimentary in her reaction, labelling the four-month leadership campaign "a summer of yet more Conservative chaos and division" that showed the party had learned nothing from its general election defeat.

"They could have spent the past four months listening to the public, taking responsibility for the mess they made and changing their party." Reeves says. "Instead, Kemi Badenoch’s election as leader shows they’re incapable of change."

A trio of previous Tory prime ministers have urged Conservatives to unite around their new leader.

Rishi Sunak, who will now hand over to Kemi Badenoch, says she will "renew our party, stand up for Conservative values, and take the fight to Labour", adding "let's unite behind her".

Boris Johnson lauded Badenoch's "courage and clarity" , saying she could "expose Starmer's failings" and had his full support to lead the Tories to victory at the next election.

David Cameron says it is time for the Tories to "prove ourselves to the British people", adding "I know all too well that it can be one of the toughest jobs in British politics".

Badenoch began her victory speech by thanking her predecessor Rishi Sunak, her fellow leadership candidates and her husband Hamish:

During her victory speech, now Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch paid a "special tribute" to leadership rival Robert Jenrick.

Commending his campaign, she said: "You and I know that we don't disagree on very much.

"I have no doubt you have a key role to play in our party for many years to come."

Image source, PA Media

A result setting the terms of political debate for years to comepublished at 11:32 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November

11:32 GMT 2 November

Chris Mason
Political editor

"She would cross the road to bite your ankles, whether you were goading her or not!"

This is a remark from a long term admirer of Kemi Badenoch, delighted to see her win the Conservative leadership contest.

It is a character reference you don’t have to look hard to find about the new leader of the opposition, seen as sharp, even abrasive, by her friends, let alone those who are less keen on her.

“She has real sparkle. It’s going to be fascinating seeing her taking on Starmer,” says another supporter.

The arrival of Kemi Badenoch as Conservative leader comes hard on the heels of Labour's first budget, completing a few days that will set the terms of political debate in the UK for years to come.

A big personality with fresh impetus will now take her place in the arguments ahead.

• Read more of Chris Mason's analysis of the challenges facing Badenoch here.

Here's the moment Kemi Badenoch found out she was going to be the next Tory leader, watch below:

Image source, Getty Images

The new Tory leader goes on to say that this is not just about the party, it's about the people we want to "bring back" and those we want to "bring in" to supporting them.

Badenoch says the party need to be honest about the fact that "we made mistakes".

She concludes her speech by saying it's time to reset "our politics" and give the country a "new start".

"Time to get down to business, time to renew."

Badenoch goes on to give thanks to her predecessor, Rishi Sunak, as well as her fellow leadership candidates.

She says the task ahead is "tough but simple". First, hold the Labour government to account and second, prepare for government with a "clear plan".

The new Conservative leader says Prime Minister Keir Starmer is "discovering all too late the perils of not having a plan".

Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter

There was loud applause, whooping and cheering from Kemi Badenoch's supporters as she was announced as the new Tory leader.

Bob Blackman, the chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench MPs and also returning officer for the leadership election, welcomed her as the party's first Black leader.

"Isn't it great to have another woman" as party leader, he added, in a dig at the Labour Party.

Labour still has not had a female leader, although Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett have both acted as interim leaders.

We’re now hearing from Kemi Badenoch, who is welcomed onto the stage by cheers from the Tory faithful.

She begins her speech by saying she wants to pay tribute to everyone in the Conservative Party.

"It's the most enormous honour to be elected" to the role leading the "party that has given me so much", she says.

Image source, Getty Images

The total number of "eligible electors" was 131,680, the 1922 Committee chair announces.

And the turnout in the election was 72.8%.

Kemi Badenoch was the winner with 53,806 votes, while Robert Jenrick received 41,388.

Jennifer McKiernan
Political reporter

Kemi Badenoch looked like the cat that got the cream as she was announced the winner of the Conservative leadership race, despite a membership vote turnout she'd acknowledged was worryingly low.

That's what prompted her last-minute round of interviews, having previously taken the opposite tack from rival Robert Jenrick's approach of as many media opportunities as possible.

Her campaign was light on policies, insisting principles must come first, although she does want to see the UK's immigration system reformed and has waged a one-woman campaign against "woke culture".

She appears to have overcome concerns she could be too abrasive, admitting she may need to "calibrate" and soften her approach in a recent BBC interview, and winning a flurry of Tory endorsements in the final weeks.

Badenoch will need to appoint her shadow cabinet in the coming days and has previously said she'd offer a frontbench job to all six of her rivals in the leadership race, including Jenrick.

Image source, Reuters

Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party, 1922 Committee chairman Bob Blackman has announced.

She will deliver a speech in a few minutes, so stick with us and we'll bring you the key lines from her remarks.