Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said she found it “fascinating” that Argentinian president Javier Milei wanted to make his country so great that Falkland Islanders would want to change nationalities.
In a 15-minute speech to Latin American investors and academics, Badenoch praised the anarcho-capitalist leader for his austerity programme in Argentina that has lowered inflation and driven growth.
While Badenoch made it clear she disagreed with Milei over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, she appeared to defend Milei over his approach to reclaiming the islands.
In April this year, Milei said he wanted people living on the island to “prefer to be Argentinian” because of the country’s “power”, adding that his libertarian agenda was being advanced to make the country the “most free in the world”.
“When it comes to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, we always make it clear that the most important vote of all is the one cast with your feet,” Milei said in a landmark speech.
“We long for the Falkland Islanders to one day decide to vote for us with their feet. That’s why we strive to make Argentina such a powerful nation that they will prefer to be Argentinian, and that persuading them won’t even be necessary to make this happen.”
Speaking at a conference on Thursday, Badenoch said in response: “I find that fascinating. I love competition. I think competition is what will grow all our global economies.”
She added that “any Conservative government that I lead would be unwavering in our support for British sovereignty over the Falklands.”
Badenoch models herself on Milei
Argentina has undergone radical reform in the last two years, with inflation falling from a peak rate of nearly 300 per cent to around 31 per cent.
It has come after radical cuts to pensions and other benefits, alongside sweeping deregulation.
Growth is also expected to reach over 5 per cent this year, according to forecasters at the OECD.
Tory frontbenchers including Andrew Griffith have modelled themselves on Milei by wielding a chainsaw, the Argentinian president’s symbolic prop for slashing the size of the state.
During her speech, Badenoch also compared Milei to Margaret Thatcher, even suggesting Milei had managed to push his reforms through at a faster pace.
“This vision was the hallmark of Reagan and Thatcher: people who did difficult things, but they did those things knowing that it could make them unpopular, but knowing that they also could win the argument.
They brought people with them because what they did worked.”