During Prime Minister’s Questions on October 16, Sir Keir Starmer was asked a question by a fellow Labour MP about cycles of poverty. To begin his answer, the Prime Minister said: “The party opposite – they want to get rid of maternity pay, but keep hereditary peers. It’s the same old Tories.”

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A row erupted at the recent Conservative Party Conference over prospective leader Kemi Badenoch’s position on maternity pay. However, Ms Badenoch’s comments were framed more generally around workplace regulations being “excessive” rather than this specific kind of payment. The Conservative Party, which has not yet decided who will be its leader, has not adopted a policy to scrap maternity pay.

Reviewed by PA Media ↗ · October 17, 2024