Tory leadership favourite Robert Jenrick reveals daughter's middle name is Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher
-Credit: (Image: PA)


The favourite to become the next UK Tory leader has revealed that his daughter's middle name is Thatcher.

Robert Jenrick revealed during a Q&A session at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham that his daughter was named after the former prime minister.

The MP said he had given his daughter the middle name because she was born on the year Margaret Thatcher died and it "was a good way of reminding her of a great prime minister."

Thatcher was Tory PM between 1979 and 1990. She oversaw the closure of many industries which resulted in widespread unemployment.

She also introduced the poll tax in Scotland before anywhere else, leading to mass demonstrations.

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Jenrick was asked by GB News' Chris Hope during the Q&A session on the main stage of the conference: "I guess your daughter knew what was coming, because what's her middle name?"

Jenrick replied: "Oh, you're embarrassing her now. It is Margaret Thatcher. It's not, it's Thatcher.

"She was born the year that Margaret Thatcher died and as I respect strong women, in fact everyone is female in my house. I have three daughters, my wife, and two dogs which are both female.

"I thought it was a good way of reminding her of a great prime minister."

Jenrick's Q&A comes after fellow leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch said maternity pay was "excessive" and had gone "too far".

Her rivals criticised her for the comments and Badenoch has since tried to say her words were taken out of context.

Jenrick and Badenoch are going up against James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat in the race to replace Rishi Sunak.

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