Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch is “preoccupied with her own children”, a Tory MP has said, telling ITV that “you can’t spend all your time with your family” while being Leader of the Opposition.

Sir Christopher Chope said that he was backing Ms Badenoch’s opponent in the contest, Robert Jenrick, whose children are “a bit older”.

Mr Jenrick’s campaign distanced the Tory leadership contender from Sir Christopher’s comments, and the MP for Christchurch is now facing backlash from other Conservative figures.

Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick are vying for the support of Conservative members in their quest to succeed Rishi Sunak as Tory leader.

Sir Christopher, the MP for Christchurch told ITV Meridian’s The Last Word programme that “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.

“And, much as I like Kemi, I think she’s preoccupied with her own children, quite understandably.

“But I think Robert’s children are a bit older, and I think that it’s important that whoever leads the opposition has got an immense amount of time and energy.”

Mother-of-three Ms Badenoch’s youngest child is five and her eldest is 12, while Mr Jenrick also has three children between the ages of eight and 13.

He was challenged on his words by Helena Dollimore, the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, and when asked by the presenter what his “concern” was, Sir Christopher explained: “I understand from talking to colleagues that Kemi spends a lot of time with her family, which I don’t resent at all.”

He added: “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.”

Ms Dollimore said that she thought “there should be no barrier to women standing in public life”, before Sir Christopher claimed he was being “misrepresen(ted)”.

“You’re completely misrepresenting what I said,” the Conservative MP said. “What I’m talking about is the time, commitment involved in being Leader of Her Majesty’s, or His Majesty’s, Opposition.”

A Jenrick campaign source said: “Rob doesn’t agree with this. He’s raising three young daughters himself.”

Shadow health secretary and Mr Jenrick-backer Victoria Atkins praised “working mums” and said that “this is the 2020s, not the 1950s”.

Responding to a clip of the exchange on social media, she said: “All working mums and dads juggle family, career and general life. That one of our final two impressive candidates also happens to be a mum reflects the modern Conservative Party and modern life. Here’s to all working mums.”

Former Tory MP Nickie Aiken appeared to suggest Sir Christopher is a dinosaur, sharing an emoji as she said she “juggled (and) made it work” with her husband as a working mother.

Ms Aiken said that she was seven months pregnant and “with a toddler in tow” when she was first elected as a councillor in 2006.

“During their childhoods I became a council leader (and) MP,” she said.

“Like all working mums, political or otherwise, I juggled (and) made it work with my husband. Chope’s comments just show what a (dinosaur emoji) he really is.”

Tory members are voting in the coming days for their new party leader, who is due to be announced on 2 November.

Mr Jenrick and Ms Badenoch made it to the final two in the contest after James Cleverly failed to make it through the final round of the MP’s ballot last week.

On Wednesday, Ms Badenoch said during an online rally that she is running a “grassroots campaign” rather than a “media campaign”.

The North West Essex MP said: “I am working hard, I am running a grassroots campaign, not a TV campaign or a media campaign. I am getting out there and I am looking forward to meeting many of you on the campaign trail.”