James Cleverly denies ‘attacking’ Kemi Badenoch as maternity pay row ramps up - ‘You’ll have to ask her’

Cleverly maintained that he has always focused on promoting his own record and capabilities rather than criticising other candidates.

But he stressed the importance of clear communication in political interviews, noting: "When candidates are asked questions and give answers, they have to be held accountable for the answers they have given."

Highlighting his media experience, Cleverly added: "I have more media experience than any other candidate. You are asking me what Kemi thinks, you should ask Kemi what Kemi thinks."

He emphasised the importance of handling challenging interviews, stating: "Part of the experience a leader needs is the experience of doing difficult, challenging and probing political interviews like the ones you do day in and day out."

Cleverly's comments come amidst ongoing controversy surrounding Badenoch's remarks on maternity pay, which have dominated discussions at the annual Conservative Party Conference.

The controversy began when Badenoch, in a Times Radio interview, described statutory maternity pay as "excessive" and suggested it had gone "too far".

She argued that businesses were being forced to close due to these obligations, despite companies being able to reclaim most payments from HMRC.

Following widespread criticism, Badenoch later claimed her comments were misinterpreted, insisting she supports maternity pay.

At the Conservative Party Conference, she stated: "Some people feel that they can't afford children, I often think that too many people are worried about the money more than they need to be."

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She also took aim at fellow Tory leadership candidates after Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick seized on the comments, saying it shows they are "not serious" about getting back into Government.

The backlash has been fierce, with charities and opponents pointing out that UK maternity pay is among the lowest in developed countries.

In response to the criticism, Badenoch compared herself to Margaret Thatcher at the Conservative Party Conference. She referenced Thatcher's often-misquoted "There is no such thing as society" remark, suggesting her own words had been similarly taken out of context.

Badenoch told party members: "When you are a leader, when you are a Conservative, when you are making the argument for Conservative principles, your opponents are going to try and turn it into something else."

She insisted that maternity pay is "important" and urged Conservatives to decide their leader independently, stating: "We need to decide who's going to be leader of the party, not the left, not the Guardian, not the Mirror, just Conservatives."