Kemi Badenoch batted off Emily Maitlis’ line of questioning over the “maternity row” which the Tory leadership hopeful branded as “confected”.
Ms Badenoch was surrounded by journalists as she walked through the conference hall in Birmingham, including the former BBC reporter.
Ms Maitlis, who now works on the Global Media podcast The News Agents alongside ex-BBC colleagues Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall, asked 44-year-old Badenoch whether the furore over her maternity pay comments had “damaged” her.
The North West Essex MP responded: “I don’t know what maternity row you’re talking about. I have given a statement and said that maternity pay is important.
“If people want to have a confected row they are well within their rights to do that”, she sniped back at the veteran broadcaster.
“But I am having a serious conversation in this party about the existential crises that face us.”
Ms Maitlis, 54, asked the Wimbledon-born MP: “Who’s confecting it?”
Ms Badenoch sharply retorted: “You tell me. You’re the one asking the questions.”
Despite the energy around the Badenoch leadership bid, officially branded Renewal2030, Robert Jenrick is the bookies’ favourite to be the next leader of the opposition.
The MP for Newark is 4/6 on according to Oddschecker. Ms Badenoch meanwhile is 12/5 to lead the Tory Party.
The remaining outsiders are Braintree MP James Cleverly on 10/1 and Tonbridge MP Tom Tugendhat on 16/1.
