Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has said maternity pay has "gone too far" and the government needed to interfere less in peoples' lives. Speaking to Times Radio, Badenoch said statutory maternity pay, set up to support mothers for 39 weeks after having a baby, is a "function of tax", calling it "excessive".

Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has been criticised for saying that statutory maternity pay is "excessive" in Britain.

Statutory maternity pay is “excessive” and the red tape around the benefit has “gone too far”, Kemi Badenoch has suggested.

Kemi Badenoch backtracks on claim maternity pay is ‘excessive’ - Tory leadership contender said government was doing ‘too much’ on statutory maternity pay, before quickly backtracking

Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has said she does “believe in maternity pay” after previously describing it as “excessive”. Ms Badenoch said on X that “contrary to what some have said”,

In a car crash radio interview ahead of Tory Party conference, Kemi Badenoch suggested women would be having more children if maternity pay was taken away

Speaking to Times Radio, Badenoch said statutory maternity pay, set up to support mothers for 39 weeks after having a baby, is a "function of tax", calling it "excessive". The shadow business secretary did not say what she thought the right level of maternity pay should be,