Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has said she felt “very flattered” after rapper Nicki Minaj compared her to former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
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The comment came after Minaj shared a video clip of Badenoch speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons earlier this week. Posting the clip online, the Trinidad and Tobago-born artist wrote that the UK was “truly one of a kind” and suggested Badenoch could one day be portrayed on screen in the same way Thatcher had been.
“They will portray her in film & TV one day… just like they did with Margaret Thatcher,” Minaj wrote.
Badenoch responds to praise
Speaking on Friday, Badenoch said the comparison was flattering, noting Thatcher’s importance within the Conservative Party.
“It was very flattering to hear Nicki Minaj compare me to Margaret Thatcher, who is a heroine of mine, and in fact a heroine to all Conservatives,” she said.
Badenoch also praised Minaj’s music, mentioning the rapper’s hit song Starships.
“I do like her song Starships. I’ve been dancing to it for a long time, as do my children,” she added.
She said the comment from the US-based artist showed that observers abroad could see the role she believed the Conservatives were playing in challenging the Labour government.
“So it’s very flattering that even in the US they can see who is holding Labour to account — it’s the Conservatives, it is me — and that’s quite a nice thing to see,” Badenoch said.
Thatcher’s legacy in British politics
Margaret Thatcher served as the UK’s first female prime minister from 1979 until 1990 and remains one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern British politics.
Her life and leadership were later depicted in the 2011 film The Iron Lady, in which Meryl Streep portrayed the Conservative leader.
Minaj’s comparison linked Badenoch’s combative style in Parliament to Thatcher’s political legacy, although the musician did not elaborate further on the remark.
Political backdrop
The exchange comes shortly after the Conservative Party suffered significant setbacks in regional elections held across England, Scotland and Wales last week.
Despite the losses, there has been little public speculation about Badenoch’s leadership. She has said the party remains confident it can recover politically and has insisted the Conservatives are “coming back”.
Minaj herself has drawn attention for her political comments in the United States. Earlier this year she described herself as the “number one fan” of US President Donald Trump.
The rapper has also appeared alongside Trump publicly. In January she joined him on stage while displaying a “gold card” visa linked to a fast-track immigration programme launched last December for wealthy applicants seeking US citizenship.
Minaj moved to the United States with her family as a child and has since become one of the most commercially successful and influential figures in modern rap.
Her recent remark about Badenoch quickly attracted attention online, prompting the Conservative leader’s light-hearted response during Friday’s comments.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 16 May 2026
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