Badenoch 'flattered' by Thatcher comparison from Nicki Minaj

Kemi Badenoch has said she is flattered by rapper Nicki Minaj's comments comparing the Conservative leader to Margaret Thatcher.

Sharing a clip of Badenoch at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Minaj wrote: "The UK is truly one of a kind. They will portray her in film & TV one day... just like they did with Margaret Thatcher."

Badenoch complimented Minaj on Friday, saying she was a fan of the Trinidad and Tobago-born rapper's song Starship.

Minaj, considered to be one of the most-influential rappers of all time, described herself as US President Donald Trump's "number one fan" earlier this year.

Speaking on Friday, Badenoch said: "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.

"I do like her song Starships, I've been dancing to it for a long time, as do my children.

"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."

Thatcher, the UK's first female prime minister who held the post from 1979 until her resignation in 1990, was portrayed on the big screen by Meryl Streep in the 2011 drama The Iron Lady.

Minaj's comments come days after the Conservatives suffered heavy losses in last week's elections in England, Scotland and Wales.

There has been no hint of leadership speculation surrounding Badenoch, who has insisted her party is "coming back".

Having previously been a critic of Trump's hardline immigation policies, Minaj, who came to the US with her parents as a child, has praised his leadership in recent years.

She joined Trump on stage in January where she showed off her Trump "gold card" visa - launched last December as a fast-track for wealthy immigrants like Minaj to get US citizenship.