Andrea Leadsom

synonymous I thought you were going to write that she is promoting the screening programme that says that women should have regular smears, as part of her campaign.

Thank you, Daphne for the link. No matter what else she said in the interview, the extract is quite unambiguous. In fact, coincidentally, as I type this I am listening to a recording of what she said on the BBC news. Unless someone is impersonating her voice, the extract is indeed accurate with an emphasis on the word ' mother'.
How can she deny it?

Now now Annie we are always complaining about them not answering questions!

Would a male politician use the same argument? Being a father is no less important than being a mother.
It is the "appeal to the heartstrings" which doesn't fill me with confidence. If a politician can fall into an interview "trap" by a journalist, does he or she really have what it takes to stand toe to toe with other political leaders in important negotiations?
But listen to other interviews e.g The World at One, WH etc or read the articles and judge for yourself, not just third hand opinions about what a person might or might not have said.
It may take a bit longer than soundbites but surely we should be forming our opinions on FACTS as many people maintained in the Referendum campaign, but some sadly could not be bothered.

Does being a mother therefore make you suitable to be PM?

Do you know, Whitewave, I think it is irrelevant!

Couldn't agree more DB

Further the fact that she is willing to suggest (albeit obliquely) that it does shows her naivety.

A PM should want what's best for all in the country. This woman is too fond of the sound of her own voice. Empty vessels make the most sound

DB. I live miles from a shop, and The Times is behind a paywall.

Don't give a toss if she is a mother or not, her policies on gay marriage, fox hunting, fracking and abortion make her totally unsuitable for a PM. I think she is scary.

It's not just her policies , it's her lack of experience and naivity that will trip her up.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36752865

Have a look at this, then.m

But don't you go to a shop/supermarket? Sometimes it is better to get your information first hand, although googling the interview will bring up lots of accounts/pics of the front page of the Times etc

If Andrea Leadsome has beem misquoted, misconstrued or whatever, I presume it will get sorted.

DB, all shops/supermarkets of all sorts are several miles away.

I think they're both scary trisher, but on the whole Teresa May seems slightly less scary . I have suggested this to elder DS, who is a police officer, and along with almost all policemen dislike TM intensely. He didn't seem that convinced but at least if she becomes PM she won't be his direct boss. Still neither he nor I nor anyone else in the family will be able to vote I'm very proud to say

The other Times front page story about Stephen Crabb is being overlooked by all this. I just bought a copy and couldn't believe it. Apart from the fact that the Times seems to be getting more like the tabloids all the time, the referendum and leadership campaigns seem to be turning increasingly into X Factor. The entertainment factor seems to be drowning out the real issues.

I think what Leadsom said (and the transcript and recording are available) is absolutely despicable. She was asked about the significance of being a 'mum' and she was the one who brought up Theresa May's childlessness. May did an interview a couple of weeks ago and mentioned that she would have liked to have had children but couldn't, so just got on with life. A politician, especially a prime minister, should care about the future of everybody's children and whether he/she has any shouldn't make any difference.

I agree Daphne . In my opinion she is a cow

I do wonder about the police who I know hate TM after the way they have been treated. It must be hard for all of them. Why is there all this discussion about if AL was wrong to talk about being a mum? Does it make her policies any more acceptable? If Hitler had been a dad would his ideas have been OK? These two women make Margaret Thatcher look left wing. I agree Badenkate they are both scary.

I think Leadsom's promise on not repatriating migrants could well win her the vote in the same way as the NHS bus won them the referendum. She'll drop it as soon as she's PM, because it compromises our position in the negotiations, but in the mean time it's a shrewd move because it puts May in a bind. May's heartless if she doesn't match it, but if she does she'll be accused of selling out the Brexiters if negotiations mean she can't honour it.

I have got more children than AL. I guess that gives me more qualification to be PM.

Oh good not just me then. Mrs Leadsom also did a complete U-turn on her attitude to the Referendum issue. Only a couple of months ago, she claimed in an interview that she was anti-Brexit, but mysteriously changed her mind just beforehand. Might Boris have offered her high office in the event of him becoming PM perchance?

Don't liken her to Margaret Thatcher - whatever ones views on that lady - she memorably claimed "you turn if you want to, the LADY is not for turning". Neither did she.

Lets hope we get the honest steadiness of Theresa May steering the ship through the very choppy waters ahead.

Mrs Leadsome needs to tighten up on certain things, and take advice from those who are more experienced than she is, if she wants to wind against Theresa May.
I wonder if she has that characteristic or not?

win obviously!

Anniebach there are quite a few empty vessels who are always on here sounding off. Sounds like you are the kettle calling the pot black.

Whatever she may say to try to diffuse this - her remarks put me in mind of all the dreadful women who used to push themselves forward at Playgroup committee meetings and School PTA sessions. They would have fixed views about what they wanted for THEIR children rather than children in general. If anyone dared raise the subject of Equal Opportunities or Special Needs they usually got shot down especially if new policies might in anyway detract from what they wanted for their children. Such women were always very bad at seeing a different point of view and, even more worryingly, they were quite happy to break the rules to get their offspring special treatment or out of trouble.
Its bad enough that the press go on about these two candidates being women first and politicians second without one of them playing the self same card.
Margaret Thatcher was a women AND a mother yet she was far from being a modern feminist and in fact did a lot to undermine women's causes.