Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leadership candidate, faces criticism for calling statutory maternity pay "excessive."

Kemi Badenoch, a Conservative leadership candidate, has provoked backlash by labeling statutory maternity pay as "excessive." In a Times Radio interview, she argued for reduced government involvement and increased personal responsibility, claiming that high maternity pay burdens businesses. Critics, including other politicians and advocacy groups, contend her views are out of touch and detrimental to families, emphasizing the importance of maternity pay for women's health and well-being.