KEMI Badenoch has sparked outrage by branding maternity pay “excessive” and urging mothers to show “more personal responsibility”.
The Tory leadership hopeful warned businesses are being crippled by the “burden of regulation”, hinting generous maternity benefits are part of the problem.
She argued women were having “more babies” when the benefit didn’t exist.
As the Tory leadership contest burst into life, the Shadow Communities Secretary told Times Radio: “Maternity pay varies depending on who you work for, but it is a function, where it’s statutory maternity pay.
“It is a function of tax. Tax comes from people who are working. We’re taking from one group of people and giving to another.
“This in my view is excessive.”
Pressed on whether statutory maternity pay is too excessive, she replied: “I think it’s gone too far the other way in terms of general business regulation.
“We need to allow businesses, especially small businesses, to make more of their own decisions. The exact amount of maternity pay in my view is neither here nor there.
“We need to make sure that we are creating an environment where people can work and people can have more freedom to make their individual decisions.”
Challenged on how this affects families who can’t afford to have a baby, she fired back: “We need to have more personal responsibility.
“There was a time when there wasn’t any maternity pay, and people were having more babies.”
Her comments were immediately torn apart by campaigners and other contenders in the Tory leadership race.
A source from a rival camp told The Sun: “Kemi’s mad ideas are the only thing that can send our party’s polling even lower.
“She has got some gall lecturing other women about being lazy. It’s a disgrace.”
Joeli Brearley, founder of campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, branded her remarks as “yet another example of dog-whistle politics”.
She told the PA news agency: “It is absolute nonsense to suggest that businesses are closing because of statutory maternity pay.
“Statutory maternity pay is not a burden to business as they recoup the cost from HMRC. Small business recoup 100 per cent of the cost plus 3 per cent in small employer’s relief.”
She added: “Conservatives are meant to be the party of family – this statement from Badenoch is yet another example of dog-whistle politics that would actively damage families, businesses and society as a whole.”
First introduced in 1987, statutory maternity pay is available only to women who are employed and earning an average of at least £123 per week.
It provides 90 per cent of a person’s salary for six weeks, and then whichever is lower of 90 per cent of their salary or £184.03 per week for the next 33 weeks, and the payment is liable for income tax and national insurance.
Ms Badenoch has pitched her leadership campaign as a call for the state to do less, arguing that the Government should focus on what it does well such as “defence and domestic security”.
This morning, the former Cabinet Minister also unleashed on immigrants who loathe our culture – and says we have been “naive” to assume they will “abandon ancestral ethnic-hostilities at the border”.
A fired-up Ms Badenoch let rip on people coming from countries “where Israel is seen as an enemy”.
She said: “People who come here should want to live in Britain, they should love the country and want it to succeed. We are not a dormitory. This is our home.”
But Ms Badenoch fiercely denied singling out Muslims, saying “many Muslim people love Israel.”
The Shadow Cabinet Minister defended saying some cultures were “less valid” – including authoritarian those that inflict child marriage or curb women’s rights.
Ms Badenoch said: “I think that cultures where women are told that they should not work, I would knock on doors… and you would see somebody at the door who says I can’t speak to you I will get my husband. I don’t think that is as equally valid as our culture.
She also opened the door to quitting the ECHR in a shift widely viewed as trying to neutralise the appeal of new favourite Robert Jenrick, who is pledging to leave.
Hottest Pairs in the latest UK49s Lunchtime draw The hottest pairs of the last 20 Lunchtime draws, including the draw on Sunday, 29 September 2024 are: 36-44, 16-36 and 20-34 Hot and Cold numbers for the last 20 UK49s Lunchtime draws Meanwhile, the hot numbers for the last 20 Lunchtime draws are: 36, 30 and 28 […]
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A NOUGHTIES girl group have reunited more than two decades after their hit single – and appear to be gearing up for a major gig.
Supersister comprised Eleanor Phillips, Louise Fudge, and Tina Peacock.
During their history, the group released three singles including Coffee, Shopping and Summer Gonna Come Again.
The trio were regulars on television and together they toured the world as their track hit the top 20 in October 2000.
Fans of Supersister are in luck, as it appears the group are coming back together.
A post on their Instagram page suggests they are set to reunite at next year’s Mighty Hoopla.
The short video shows the trio sat around a table as they share a toast.
Text on-screen reads: “Reunion incoming. Wine instead of coffee.”
The group tagged The Mighty Hoopla into the post, while their song Coffee played in the background.
Supersister had been signed to Gut Records at the turn of millenium.
The group supported iconic bands including Steps and Hear’Say while preparing for their own album to be released.
Following Gut Records going bankrupt in 2008, Supersister’s album Lip Service remains unreleased.
Since their time in the spotlight two decades ago, the band members have taken different paths.
For instance, Louise Fudge turned her back on fame and the music industry in favour of a normal job.
After Coffee and its follow-up Shopping, she stayed out of the spotlight and went onto to retrain as a hairdresser.
This saw the former recording artist later establish her own hair salon.
While the salon, Louise Fudge Hair and Beauty, went on to be nominated at the prestigious English Hair and Beauty Awards in Manchester.
It was up for the Hair Salon of the Year award back in 2017.
Speaking at the time, Louise said: “To be recognised at such a prestigious awards such as The English Hair and Beauty Awards is such an honour.
“We are a little over a year old, but clients voted and, along with our excellent reviews, we have been shortlisted.”
She added: “I always wanted to create a salon that I would like to go to myself … This is a great boost to Little Sutton village.”
