Kemi Badenoch, the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, has stirred controversy by claiming the Partygate scandal that led to Boris Johnson's resignation was 'overblown.' In her first major interviews, she acknowledged serious issues during Johnson’s tenure but emphasized that the fixed penalty notices issued for breaching lockdown rules were misguided and not aligned with their principles. Badenoch maintained that while public outrage over Partygate was justified, the criminalization of everyday activities was excessive. She asserted that the perception of the government not representing the public contributed to their downfall. Critics, including Labour MPs, have expressed discontent with her comments, suggesting that the Tory party has failed to learn from its past mistakes. Badenoch aims to draw a line under previous controversies and focus on moving the party forward.