It’s uncontrollable that I’m constantly attacked because of my race and ethnicity, says Kemi Badenoch.

In an interview with The Times, Badenoch stated that some people, both inside and outside the party, think she only rose to the position of leader because of the party’s diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) policy.

According to UK Conservative Party head Kemi Badenoch, those who are criticizing her ascent to power are using racist clichés.

The term DEI describes procedures and policies intended to guarantee historically underrepresented groups equitable representation, fair treatment, and equal access, particularly in positions of leadership.

“There’s a certain cadre of people who clearly can’t cope with the fact that I won this and I’m doing it. The level of personal attacks from anonymous people is hysterical,” she stated.

“People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome.”

She continued by saying that detractors frequently use the comment, “How could she possibly have done this?,” to discount her accomplishments. DEI must have been involved.

According to Badenoch, her detractors use racial clichés to paint Black people as “lazy, corrupt, or all DEI hires.” She called this idea “extraordinary” because she takes “everyone at face value.”

The 45-year-old lawmaker, who was raised in Nigeria before relocating to the UK when she was 16, claimed that racist speech is also directed at her online.

She pointed out that the rumors were not being spread by Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary who lost to her in the contest for leadership.

“There’s a whole swathe of stuff online: There’s a lot of ethno-nationalism creeping up, lots of stuff about my race and my ethnicity and the tropes around: ‘Well, she couldn’t possibly have done this all by herself’. People who used these tropes were trying to tell a story about me that is wholly untrue and which everyone around me knows is untrue,” she stated.

“I think even Rob himself finds it distressing, but it’s just something that we deal with.”