U.K.

Debate erupts: Is motherhood an advantage for UK's next PM?

British ruling Conservative Party Member of Parliament Andrea Leadsom launches her campaign in London Monday

Leadsome and May are the two women in the running to be the next Conservative party leader and therefore the next Prime Minister.

Andrea Leadsom, one of two candidates to be the next British prime minister, has caused an uproar by suggesting that being a mother means she has a greater stake in the country's future than her childless rival Theresa May. I am sure - I don't really know Theresa very well - but, I am sure she will be really, really sad that she doesn't have children.

In the same interview she asserted that having children meant she had "a very real stake in the future of our country", compared to her rival May who has spoken about her heartbreak over being unable to have children.

In the interview published yesterday, Mrs Leadsom, who is married with two sons and a daughter, was quoted as saying that her opponent "possibly has nieces, nephews, lots of people".

The mother of three tweeted that she was "disgusted" with the interview, adding that it's "the exact opposite" of what she said.

"How could you?" she pointedly asked on her Twitter feed, directing her remarks to Times reporter Rachel Sylvester.

"I think there's now an enormous parliamentary majority for equal marriage so I'm confident that it will continue to be the case", Efe news quoted Cameron as saying to the media in Warsaw, where he is attending the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit.

"I'm not a feminist because I'm not anti-men, I just see people as people".

"If Leadsom thinks being feminist means being anti-man, I wonder if she understands feminism", one commenter said.

May told the Mail on Sunday last week: "Of course, we were both affected by it. You see friends who now have grown-up children, but you accept the hand that life deals you". I would urge Mrs Leadsom to sign up the clean campaign pledge and let's make sure that the rest of this campaign - which is eight weeks from today - is a clean campaign, openly fought on the issues.

While the question of parenthood has been raised in past races, British politics expert Victoria Honeyman at the University of Leeds said that personal insults - even in a heated campaign - are pretty low, particularly as May has acknowledged that the subject was hard for her.

She said Leadsom responded "first of all she said economic competence, because of her background in the city", - Leadsom is a former bank executive - "and then she said family". Among those angered is Conservative lawmaker Alan Duncan, a May supporter. Do I not have a stake in the future of the country? For the record, he is a parent.

"In front of the Times correspondent and photographer, I made clear repeatedly that nothing I said should be used in any way to suggest that Theresa May not having children had any bearing whatever on the leadership election". "I am disgusted at the way this has been presented".

stayontheblack.com

Debate erupts: Is motherhood an advantage for UK's next PM?