Conservative leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has said that people are “scared to have families”.

Ms Badenoch, who is vying to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader, told an event with the Conservative Women’s Organisation that “we should find a way to make life easier for those who are starting families”.

She was asked about birth rates when she spoke at the event at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

She said: “I think that there are things that we have to do to make sure that we make life comfortable for those people who are… starting families,” listing examples such as maternity pay, childcare provision and housing.

Some people feel that they can’t afford children

“A lot of people have fewer children because they start having children later,” she said.

“And so they just can’t have as many as perhaps they might have liked. Some people feel that they can’t afford children, I often think that too many people are worried about the money more than they need to be.

“But we need to give people confidence. People are scared to have families, they’re worried about whether they can afford them, they’re worried about whether they will have birth trauma.”

She said that people “need to talk about families like… the amazing thing that they are, that having a family is probably the most meaningful thing that any of us are ever going to do”.

Ms Badenoch added: “We should find a way to make life easier for those who are starting families and not act like families are an inconvenience.”

On Sunday, Ms Badenoch attracted criticism after she appeared to criticise maternity pay.

Speaking to Times Radio, the shadow communities secretary described statutory maternity pay as “a function of tax”, and said: “Tax comes from people who are working – we’re taking from one group of people and giving to another. This, in my view, is excessive.”

She later wrote on social media: “Contrary to what some have said, I clearly said the burden of regulation on businesses had gone too far… of course I believe in maternity pay!”

At the same Conservative Women’s Organisation event on Monday, Ms Badenoch also talked about making party events “family friendly”.

She told the panel: “When I have events they’re always family-friendly, I tell people bring your kids, and you find that you’re having not just women but also a lot of men as well because they are parents.

“Many of the things that we call women’s issues are actually parents’ issues and we need to talk more about being a parent.”