--- description: Conservative Party leadership nominee Andrea Leadsom has apologized to rival candidate Theresa May for her remarks about motherhood title: Andrea Leadsom Apologizes for Motherhood Comments image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7a2da7e3a4406373/69889b60f887dc20b2e96946/gettyimages-545298206.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # A Candidate for the U.K. Leadership Has Apologized to Her Rival for Motherhood Comments by [Casey Quackenbush](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 11, 2016 10:05 AM CUT  Andrea Leadsom, British Energy Minister and Conservative Party leadership contender, speaks at a campaign rally in London on July 7, 2016 Andrea Leadsom, British Energy Minister and Conservative Party leadership contender, speaks at a campaign rally in London on July 7, 2016Jack Taylor—Getty Images by [Casey Quackenbush](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 11, 2016 10:05 AM CUT British Conservative Party leadership candidate [Andrea Leadsom](http://time.com/4396235/andrea-leadsom-conservative-party-leadership-profile/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") has [apologized to rival candidate](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/10/ive-been-under-attack-its-been-shattering-andrea-leadsom-apologi/ "undefined") Theresa May for her remarks in a recent interview in which she appeared to suggest that being a mother gave her an advantage over her childless opponent. “I’ve already said to [Theresa](http://time.com/4386934/theresa-may-boris-johnson-leader-conservative-party/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") how very sorry I am for any hurt I have caused and how that article said completely the opposite of what I said and believe,” Leadsom told the _Telegraph_, although it is not clear if she apologized directly to May. In the original [interview](http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/being-a-mother-gives-me-edge-on-may-leadsom-0t7bbm29x "undefined"), the Energy Minister told British paper the _Times_ that May “possibly” had nieces and nephews. “But I have children who are going to have children who will be a part of what happens next.” She [added](http://motto.time.com/4399486/andrea-leadsom-theresa-may/ "undefined"): “Genuinely I feel that being a mum means you have a real stake in the future of our country, a tangible stake.” **Read More:** [_Britain’s Next Prime Minister Will Be Theresa May or Andrea Leadsom_](http://time.com/4396741/one-of-women-britains-prime-minister/ "undefined") The comments provoked [criticism](http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/09/andrea-leadsom-told-to-apologise "undefined") from across the political spectrum, with calls for her to apologize to May, who has been open about her inability to have children. Leadsom said that she was pressed into making the comments and that she has felt “under attack” and “under enormous pressure.” “I was pressed to say how my children had formed my views. I didn’t want it to be used as an issue. Having children has no bearing on the ability to be PM. I deeply regret that anyone has got the impression that I think otherwise,” she told the _Telegraph_. \[[_Telegraph_](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/10/ive-been-under-attack-its-been-shattering-andrea-leadsom-apologi/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4400645/andrea-leadsom-apologizes-motherhood-comments-theresa-may/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4400645/andrea-leadsom-apologizes-motherhood-comments-theresa-may/"},"headline":"A Candidate for the U.K. Leadership Has Apologized to Her Rival for Motherhood Comments","datePublished":"2016-07-11T10:05:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T23:09:33.317Z","description":"\"Having children has no bearing on the ability to be PM\"","url":"https://time.com/4400645/andrea-leadsom-apologizes-motherhood-comments-theresa-may/","keywords":["Prime Minister","United Kingdom","Elections 2016","Theresa May"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7a2da7e3a4406373/69889b60f887dc20b2e96946/gettyimages-545298206.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Casey Quackenbush","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/casey-quackenbush/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7a2da7e3a4406373/69889b60f887dc20b2e96946/gettyimages-545298206.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Andrea Leadsom Holds A Rally To Bid For Support In The Conservative Leadership","caption":"Andrea Leadsom Holds A Rally To Bid For Support In The Conservative Leadership","creditText":"Jack Taylor—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4400645/andrea-leadsom-apologizes-motherhood-comments-theresa-may/","name":"A Candidate for the U.K. Leadership Has Apologized to Her Rival for Motherhood Comments"}}]}] ```