Kemi Badenoch maternity pay comments spark Tory row

A dispute erupted over remarks made by leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch, who claimed that maternity pay has become excessive. This issue took center stage on the opening day of the Conservative Party conference.

The shadow housing secretary later clarified that she felt her words had been distorted. She affirmed her support for maternity pay and explained that her remarks were focused on the general necessity of reducing regulatory demands on businesses.

However, her statements were quickly taken up by competitors in her party as the contest to succeed Rishi Sunak intensified.

A representative from a competing group mentioned to the BBC, "Today was fantastic for us, and we hardly needed to say anything!"

In a conversation with Times Radio, Badenoch highlighted that an important aspect of her campaign for Tory leadership was to reduce government intervention in the business sector.

Badenoch was inquired about her views on whether maternity pay is set at an appropriate amount.

She mentioned that maternity pay can differ based on your employer. However, statutory maternity pay is related to taxes, which are collected from individuals who are employed.

"We're reallocating resources from one group to another, and I believe this goes too far."

Companies in the UK are shutting down, and new ones aren't being established because many claim that the regulatory requirements are excessively burdensome.

She was later questioned whether her remarks suggested that "maternity pay is too much."

Badenoch stated, "I believe we've crossed a line—it's now gone too far in the opposite direction when it comes to overall business regulation."

She mentioned that, in her opinion, the specific amount of maternity pay isn’t really important.

Statutory maternity pay begins at 90% of the average weekly income for the first six weeks. After that, it drops to either £184.03 or 90% of the mother's typical earnings, whichever amount is less, for the next 33 weeks.

Kemi Badenoch is assertive and isn’t afraid to express her views, often highlighting issues she believes others shy away from addressing.

For instance, this weekend she expressed the opinion that not all cultures hold the same level of validity.

In this campaign, she has consistently tried to focus on overarching ideas instead of specific policy commitments.

It seems that she tried to discuss the overall size and reach of the government, but she was consistently pressed with specific questions regarding maternity pay.

After the interview, Badenoch shared her thoughts on X, stating, "Despite what others have claimed, I made it clear that the regulatory burden on companies has become excessive… and I absolutely support maternity pay!"

She then made a follow-up post on social media, stating: "Without a doubt, maternity pay is not too much... any mother of three would agree."

Another candidate for the Tory leadership, Robert Jenrick, expressed at a Conservative Party fringe event that he "does not share Kemi's views on this matter."

Jenrick expressed to Conservative Party members: "As a father of three young daughters, I want to ensure they receive the support they require as they start their careers."

"Our maternity pay ranks as one of the lowest in the OECD. I believe the Conservative Party should strongly support parents and working mothers who are striving to make ends meet."

"Everyone knows that raising children isn’t a walk in the park, so why complicate things even more?"

Tom Tugendhat, who is also a candidate for the party leadership, stated, "I believe that support for new mothers and fathers is crucial."

"Looking back, one of the things I regret is that back then, we didn't have the same rights when it came to paternity leave. I believe many fathers, including myself, would have really appreciated the opportunity to spend more time with our children."

The fourth candidate for Tory leadership, James Cleverly, dismissed Badenoch's assertions as well.

He stated, "For working mothers, the expense of childcare is simply too high."

Badenoch's backers are also stepping in, attempting to ease tensions.

Julia Lopez, the acting culture minister supporting Badenoch in the leadership contest, referred to the controversy as a "manufactured attack centered around motherhood."

"At the moment, no one in our group understands the difficulties of balancing motherhood with a career better than Lopez," she stated.

"In both speeches and actions, Kemi has advocated for women by promoting maternity leave and improving childcare options. However, we still face obstacles."

Her supporters attribute the controversy to what they consider a strength: “she doesn’t sound like a typical politician,” as one person mentioned to the BBC.

However, it's important to note that her comments were rather unclear and, even if unintentionally, implied that maternity pay might be overly generous.