Kemi Badenoch: ‘Boris Promoted Me When I Was Eight Months Pregnant’

I’m nine months pregnant and about to go on maternity leaveand yet, just last month, I was promoted. Eight months into my third pregnancy, Boris Johnson offered me the job of Children and Families Minister in the Department for Education. It’s often assumed that when you’re pregnant you’re not going to get a promotion or a new job; you’ll be overlooked as people think you’re not able to do it.

But the Prime Minister is leading the way in showing it’s about what people can do, not about the current state of their bodies. I had no idea it was coming and said to him: ‘You know I’m going on maternity leave, right?’ He said: ‘Yes, but you will come back at some point.’

I think Boris is often painted unfairly. He’s actually a really nice person and, in the middle of everything that’s going on for him, he sent me a note wishing me luck on my maternity leave. He’s always sanguine, upbeat and optimistic. You want that in a leader when you’re going through difficult times.

In my new role, I’ve been learning more about the Government’s 30 hours’ free childcare policy (available to working parents of three and four-year-olds). We’re spending £3.5 billion on it, but we’ve been pushing to make sure funding isn’t taken away. You have to constantly make the argument for it and that’s what we’re doing. Being a working parent with (soon) three young children, I know how challenging it can be to juggle competing priorities like work and family life.

As a minister, I deliver policies, rather than campaign for them. I’ve been working on our Care Leaver Covenant, which supports care leavers [adults who have spent time in foster or residential care] by offering jobs and opportunities across different industries. All Government departments are offering paid 12-month internships to care leavers. It’s important your background doesn’t determine where you end up so we’re levelling the playing field for these young people. Too many leaving care miss out on opportunities their peers take for granted – including those who are starting university this week without the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’. We’re encouraging universities to improve the support they give these young people, with things like financial support or mentoring.

Since I was elected two years ago, all we have talked about is Brexit and nothing is moving forward. I just want us to get back to normal politics. I know people are worried about uncertainties around a no-deal Brexit, but we are working for a deal and I’m not worried about funding for education.

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