Kemi Badenoch faces criticism for allegedly staging a social media video where Tories appeared as regular citizens. The video featured Badenoch and James Cleverly visiting a woman upset about stamp duty, with the woman revealed to be Seena Shah, a former Conservative candidate.
During the interaction, Shah expressed concerns about families delaying having more children due to stamp duty. Also present was Louise McKinlay, the Conservative deputy leader of Essex County Council, whose identity was not disclosed.
A Labour source accused Badenoch of using staged videos with Conservative activists posing as ordinary citizens to endorse policies. Shah, who shared the video on her Instagram identifying her political affiliation, emphasized the impact of abolishing stamp duty on housing opportunities.
Badenoch, in her speech at the Tory Party conference in Manchester, pledged to eliminate stamp duty if the Tories regain power. She highlighted the potential life-changing effects of this policy on many individuals. While Badenoch tagged McKinlay in the social media post, she did not tag Shah.
The Mirror has reached out to Tory HQ and McKinlay for comments on the matter.