Badenoch dismisses Tory MP's parenthood remark

Conservative leadership hopeful Kemi Badenoch has criticised a Tory MP who said he wouldn't choose her as leader as she is "preoccupied with her own children".

Sir Christopher Chope told ITV that "you can't spend all your time with your family" while being leader of the opposition.

He said he would be voting for Robert Jenrick - Badenoch's opponent in the Tory leadership race - arguing that Jenrick's three children are "a bit older".

Badenoch responded by saying "it isn’t always women who have parental responsibilities, men do too”.

Speaking during a TV leadership event on GB News, she added that "of course" she could be a mother and Tory leader at the same time.

“I was able to be a great business secretary, and trade secretary, and equalities minister – effectively doing three jobs – while balancing my home life,” she said.

“If I can do that, I can do this too,” she added.

Speaking during the same TV event, Jenrick said Chope was "definitely wrong".

"Kemi and I both have three children. She's a great mum, I'd like to think I'm a good dad. We will both be able to balance this, whoever leads our party forward," he added.

Prior to the GB News event, Conservative MP Victoria Atkins said: "This is the 2020s, not the 1950s - all working mums and dads juggle family, career and general life."

She added: "That one of our final two impressive candidates also happens to be a mum reflects the modern Conservative Party and modern life. Here’s to all working mums."

Speaking to ITV Meridian's The Last Word programme, Chope said Jenrick had "brought more energy and commitment to the campaign, and being leader of the opposition is a really demanding job.

"And, much as I like Kemi, I think she's preoccupied with her own children, quite understandably.

"But I think Robert's children are a bit older, and I think that it's important that whoever leads the opposition has got an immense amount of time and energy.

"I understand from talking to colleagues that Kemi spends a lot of time with her family, which I don't resent at all.

"But the consequence of it is that you can't spend all your time with your family as at the same time being leader of the opposition.

"You could argue that Margaret Thatcher's family suffered as a result of the commitment and dedication which she gave to leading our country."

Labour MP Helena Dollimore, who was appearing on the same ITV programme, said: "Many women will be shocked by those comments.

"I think there should be no barrier to women standing in public life."

Conservative Party members are currently picking who they want as leader and the result will be announced on 2 November.

Badenoch and Jenrick are the final two candidates, after James Cleverly was knocked out in a ballot of Tory MPs earlier this month.

It is not the first time a candidate's parental status has been raised in a Tory leadership contest.

In the 2016 contest, Andrea Leadsom apologised to Theresa May after suggesting being a mother made her a better candidate.

It comes as the two contenders faced questions from an audience of Tory members on GB News, with topics including immigration, prisons policy, and housing.

Jenrick made an immigration-heavy pitch, saying it was the reason the party had lost votes to Reform UK and the party would not return to power until it was "trusted" on the issue.

He showcased his two main policies on the topic, of capping annual net legal migration at under 100,000, and leaving the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) in a bid to make it easier to deport failed asylum seekers.

But Badenoch said that, although she would not rule out an exit, leaving the ECHR would not prove a "silver bullet" on the issue of small boats.

She also said the move would “divide our party,” warning that the move would require a "proper wholesale plan" whose consequences would be "not dissimilar to leaving the EU".

She also defended her policy-light campaign, arguing that for the moment the party needed to focus on “conviction" and she did not want to "impose what’s in my head” on the party.

“I don’t need to talk about policies, because they know what I am about,” she added.