Watch: Jenrick backer suggests Badenoch ‘preoccupied with children’

As the two finalists for the Tory leadership race are preparing to go head-to-head in tonight’s GB News special, more Tory MPs are speaking up for their favoured candidates. In an interesting interview, veteran politician Sir Christopher Chope has revealed who he is backing – and for rather curious reasons.

The Christchurch MP told ITV News’s viewers that he was throwing his weight behind Jenrick – before going onto explain exactly why:

I myself am supporting Robert Jenrick because I think he’s brought more energy and commitment to the campaign, and being leader of the opposition is a really demanding job. As much as I like Kemi, I think she’s now preoccupied with her own children, quite understandably. But I think I think Robert’s children are a bit older and I think that it’s important that whoever leads the the opposition has got an immense amount of time and energy.

Chope was quick to clarify that he was one of Margaret Thatcher’s ‘strongest and staunchest supporters’ – with the first female prime minister also governing with children at home – before going on to add:

It gives me the concern is because I understand from talking to colleagues that Kemi spends a lot of time with her family, which I don’t resent at all, but the consequence of it is that you can’t spend all your time with your family as at the same time being leader of the opposition.