PA mediaConservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch criticized Conservative MPs who said they would not elect her as leader because they are “preoccupied with their own children”.
Sir Christopher Chope told ITV that despite being Leader of the Opposition he “cannot spend all his time with his family”.
He said he would vote for Mr Badenoch’s opponent in the Conservative leadership race, Robert Jenrick, and insisted Mr Jenrick’s three children were “a little older”.
In response, Mr Badenoch said: “It’s not necessarily women who are responsible for being parents, it’s men as well.”
Speaking at a GB News television leadership event, she added that “of course” she could be a mother and leader of the Conservative Party at the same time.
“It’s not the 1950s.”
“I have been able to be an excellent economy minister, trade minister and equalities minister, effectively working three jobs while balancing family life,” she said.
“If you can do that, you can do this,” she added.
Speaking at the same TV event, Mr Jenrick said Mr Chope’s comments were “absolutely wrong”.
“Kemi and I both have three children. She’s a great mother and I’d like to think I’m a good father too. We both have to maintain balance, no matter who moves the party forward. will be able to do so,” he added.
Speaking ahead of the GB News event, Conservative MP Victoria Atkins said: “This is the 2020s, not the 1950s. Every working mum and dad is juggling families, careers and life in general.”
She added: “It’s a reflection of modern Conservatives and modern life that one of the final two impressive candidates is a mother. I want to send a message to all working mothers.” added.
Speaking on ITV Meridian’s The Last Word, Mr Chope said Mr Jenrick “brought a lot of energy and dedication to the campaign. Being leader of the opposition is a really tough job.” said.
“And I like Kemi, but I think she’s preoccupied with her kids, and that’s to be expected.
“But I think Robert’s children are a little older and I think it’s important that the person leading the opposition has a huge amount of time and energy.
“When I was talking to my colleagues, I found out that Kemi was spending a lot of time with her family, and I don’t begrudge her that at all.
“But as a result, he will not be able to spend all his time with his family while being leader of the opposition.
“You could argue that Margaret Thatcher’s family suffered as a result of the dedication and commitment she gave to leading our country.”
Labor MP Helena Dollimore, who appeared on the same ITV programme, said: ‘Many women will be shocked by these comments.
“I don’t think there should be any barriers for women to be in public life.”
Conservative members are currently choosing who to nominate as leader, with the result expected to be announced on November 2.
James Cleverley was defeated in a Tory vote earlier this month, leaving Mr Badenoch and Mr Jenrick as the final two candidates.
This is not the first time a candidate’s parenthood has been brought up in a Conservative Party leadership contest.
At the 2016 contest, Andrea Leadsom apologized to Theresa May after suggesting that being a mother made her a better candidate.
TV viewer questions
The comments came as the two candidates faced questions from an audience of Conservative members on GB News on topics including immigration, prison policy and housing.
Mr Jenrick made a pitch focused on immigration, saying it was why the party lost votes to Reform Britain and that it would not return to government until it was “trusted” on the issue.
He introduced two major policies on this topic. One is to limit net immigration to less than 100,000 people a year, and the other is to withdraw from the European Covenant on Human Rights (ECHR) to make it easier to deport those who fail to apply for asylum. .
However, Badenoch said that while he did not rule out the possibility of withdrawal, leaving the ECHR would not be a “silver bullet” for the small boat issue.
He also said the move would “divide our party”, saying it would require “proper big planning” and that the outcome would be “no different than Brexit”. I warned you.
She also defended her policy-focused campaign, saying the party needed to focus on its “beliefs” for now and would not “impose what’s in my head” on the party.
“I don’t need to talk about policy because they know what I’m thinking,” she added.
