Kemi Badenoch has sparked controversy after describing maternity pay as “excessive” and calling for greater personal responsibility. In an interview with Times Radio, the Tory leadership hopeful argued that government intervention on issues like the maternity benefit had gone “too far”,

Kemi Badenoch said her remarks about maternity pay have been "misrepresented". The shadow housing secretary caused controversy on the first day of the Conservative conference after appearing to call the current level of the benefit "excessive".