There was a time when there wasn’t any maternity pay and people were having more babies’. Badenoch confirms she is not opposed to principle of maternity pay, as row over her 'excessive' claim escalates 14:10 Kemi Badenoch has put a post on social media saying she backs the principle of maternity pay.

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

As the Conservative Party's first annual conference in opposition since 2009 gets under way in Birmingham, we spoke to all four candidates vying for the leadership. Scroll down for live coverage of day one of the conference.

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,

Badenoch says she ‘of course’ believes in maternity pay - It came after the Tory leadership hopeful had earlier described it as ‘excessive’.

Joeli Brearley, founder of campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, said it was “absolute nonsense” to suggest businesses were closing because of statutory maternity pay as busin

Kemi Badenoch came under furious attack from Labour after she was asked about the benefit during an interview at party conference this morning.

Conservative leadership contender Kemi Badenoch said the regulatory burden needed to be lowered and people should exercise ‘personal responsibility’.