evidence: Kemi Badenoch, a contender for leadership of the Conservative party, has sparked a debate on maternity pay, stating that the allowance in the UK is "excessive". [...] Badenoch’s comments suggest that UK maternity pay is too generous. But in contrast to other European and OECD countries, the UK has some of the least generous leave and pay. [...] This is far more generous in terms of both time and pay than the UK equivalent, where the low flat rate is less than minimum wage. This generosity, alongside the use of non-transferable leave (days of leave which cannot be transferred from one parent to the other) creates conditions for healthier families with strong paternal involvement, and might help to explain why Sweden has much better results in terms of gender equality than the UK.