Conservative MP Christopher Chope sparks a backlash after suggesting Kemi Badenoch could not be the leader of the opposition because she spends "a lot of time with her family".

Christopher Chope said he was supporting Robert Jenrick, who also has three children. School absences in England at 6.9%, down on previous year, but still well above pre-pandemic levels, DfE says 14:06 The school absence rate for England for the autumn and spring terms of 2023-24 was down on the same period the year before – but still much higher than pre-pandemic,

Robert Jenrick said the Tories need a leader who doesn't 'get drawn down rabbit holes' and spend time doing 'battle on Twitter' in a barbed jibe at rival Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are facing each other in the Tory leadership contest after the surprise knock-out of James Cleverly

Conservative leader candidates will take part in GB News hustings at 7pm. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, was on the media round on behalf of No 10 this morning. In an interview on the Today programme,

Sir Christopher Chope says ‘you can’t spend all your time with your family at the same time as being leader of the opposition’

Kemi Badenoch ‘preoccupied with her children’ says Conservative MP - Veteran Tory Sir Christopher Chope said ‘you can’t spend all your time with your family as at the same time being Leader of the Opposition’.