Claim 4a1e68fcChecked 21 Jul 2026
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“Kemi Badenoch told Sir Alan Haselhurst that she knew absolutely nothing about cricket.”
—Mrs Kemi BadenochConservativeCon / North West Essex·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · claimed non public knowledge
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
This claim concerns a private conversation between Kemi Badenoch and Sir Alan Haselhurst. Badenoch recounts in her speech that when Haselhurst encouraged her to take up the role of chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on cricket, she "graciously declined, telling him I knew absolutely nothing about cricket." This is a personal anecdote about an undisclosed, private exchange between two individuals. There is no public record, official documentation, or independent corroboration of what was said in that conversation. The only evidence is Badenoch's own account in the speech itself, which cannot be treated as independent verification of the underlying fact. No web search can confirm or refute the content of a private dialogue.
Sources: No external sources can corroborate a private conversation. The claim originates solely from Badenoch's parliamentary speech.
From speech
I echo the Prime Minister’s words on Lance Corporal James Freeman and about the Royal Navy helicopter crash in Devon. I also send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Henry Nowak. The circumstances around Henry’s wrongful arrest and tragic murder must be a wake-up call to the entire country and our institutions that every life matters, and it is the responsibility of everyone in this House to bring people together, not divide them. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Sir Alan Haselhurst—Lord Haselhurst—who died on Monday. Sir Alan served Parliament for over 50 years, eight of them in the Lords and 40 years as my predecessor as MP for Saffron Walden, while from 1970 to 1974 he was the Member of Parliament for Middleton and Prestwich. He was respected on all sides of this House, and was elected multiple times as your predecessor as Deputy Speaker, before he concluded in the other place. Apart from serving his constituents, Sir Alan’s greatest passion in Parliament and perhaps in life was cricket, as you said, Mr Speaker. He was chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on cricket, a role which he encouraged me to take up and which I graciously declined, telling him I knew absolutely nothing about cricket. However, I think colleagues should know that Sir Alan’s intense lobbying is the reason that Sky Sports can be found on the parliamentary TV network. There is so much to say, but just to let everyone know, he was a good and kind man and he will be very much missed. My thoughts are with his wife Angela, his children Mark, David and Emma, and his grandchildren. May I ask the Prime Minister by how much the welfare bill has risen since he came to office?
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