A veteran Tory MP has come under fire after claiming Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch is unsuitable to become Tory leader because she’s “preoccupied with her own children”.
Sir Christopher Chope’s comments were branded “insulting” and “offensive” as MPs across political parties reacted with uproar. The MP said he was backing Robert Jenrick to become the Conservative party’s new leader before ranting about Ms Badenoch spending “a lot of time with her family” – despite Mr Jenrick having three kids himself. Sir Christopher then added: “You can’t spend all your time with your family as at the same time being Leader of the Opposition.”
At least one MP called on Rishi Sunak to suspend Sir Christopher from the party, while Mr Jenrick quickly distanced himself from the comments. A campaign source said: “Rob doesn’t agree with this. He’s raising three young daughters himself.”
In an interview with ITV Meridian’s The Last Word programme, Sir Christopher, the MP for Christchurch, said: “I myself am supporting Robert Jenrick because I think he’s 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.”
He was challenged by co-panellist Helena Dollimore, the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, and when asked by the presenter what his “concern” was, Sir Christopher added: “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.”
Ms Dollimore said that she thought “there should be no barrier to women standing in public life”, before Sir Christopher claimed he was being misrepresented. “What I’m talking about is the time, commitment involved in being Leader of Her Majesty’s, or His Majesty’s, Opposition,” the Tory MP added.
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Speaking after the interaction, Ms Dollimore added: “I thought nothing could shock me about the state of the Conservative Party, but that was before I had to sit through Christopher Chope MP opining about whether mothers can lead political parties. I hope Robert Jenrick distances himself from these unhinged comments.”
Tory MP and former Health Secretary Victoria Atkins, who responded to the comments on social media, said: “This is the 2020s, not the 1950s. All working mums and dads juggle family, career and general life. 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.”
Labour MP Sarah Owen said: “Shocking, yet sadly unsurprising comments from a Tory MP about his leadership contender being ‘preoccupied with her children.’ It’s 2024, yet the Conservative Party is stuck in 1924.”
Lib Dem MP Liz Jarvis branded the comments “outrageous but predictable”. She continued: “The idea that women can’t hold positions with huge responsibility and still manage to be brilliant mums is antiquated, insulting and chauvinistic, to say the least. Even by Christopher Chope’s standards, these comments are staggeringly ignorant and offensive.
“Diminishing women’s ability to play leading roles in public life because they have young families is an attitude that should be in the distant past. Robert Jenrick should immediately condemn his remarks and Rishi Sunak must suspend the whip. If they do not, it is clear that they see these views as acceptable in the modern Conservative party.”
Tory members are voting in the coming days on who they want to replace Rishi Sunak as party leader, which is due to be announced on 2 November. Mr Jenrick and Ms Badenoch made it to the final two in the contest after James Cleverly failed to make it through the final round of the MPs’ ballot last week.
On Wednesday, Ms Badenoch said during an online rally that she is running a “grassroots campaign” rather than a “media campaign”. The North West Essex MP said: “I am working hard, I am running a grassroots campaign, not a TV campaign or a media campaign. I am getting out there and I am looking forward to meeting many of you on the campaign trail.”