Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has revealed she is facing a wave of racist abuse since becoming the first black woman to head the party, describing the scale of hostility as “hysterical.”

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Badenoch admitted she had been taken aback by the level of vitriol directed at her, much of it centred on her race and ethnicity.

“There’s a certain cadre of people who clearly can’t cope with the fact that I won this and I’m doing it,” she said. “The level of personal attacks from anonymous people, it’s hysterical … Not even just from MPs. I actually don’t think it’s that many MPs. I think it’s two to three people out of 120. That’s nothing. But online as well. People used to talk about Trump derangement syndrome. I think there’s a Kemi derangement syndrome: ‘How could she possibly have done this?’.”

She noted that much of the online abuse carried “ethno-nationalist” undertones, with critics questioning her legitimacy and suggesting she could not have succeeded “by herself.”

Born in Wimbledon and raised in Nigeria before returning to the UK at 16, Badenoch has often avoided dwelling on her racial identity. She has previously argued that Britain is “the best place in the world to be black” and criticised anti-racism campaigners for exaggerating the issue.

“I always try to think of every possible explanation before I go to race and racism. I think that is a healthy way to run a society,” she said, recalling how she was pilloried years ago for stating that Britain is not a racist country.

Badenoch’s comments come as she prepares for her first party conference speech amid mounting speculation about a potential leadership challenge from shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick. The Conservatives are currently polling at just 17 per cent.

Brushing off reports of discontent within her ranks, she dismissed rumours of Jenrick replacing her as “wishful thinking.”

“There will always be people who are sore losers … Many of those people having those conversations think this is a game. But the lives of people in this country aren’t a game,” she added.