‘How Do You Sleep at Night?’: Labour’s Lucy Powell Faces Backlash Over WASPI Women Remarks
Lucy Powell, Leader of the House of Commons, found herself at the center of a heated exchange on BBC Breakfast as hosts Roger Johnson and Nina Warhurst quizzed her about Labor’s stance on the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign. The WASPI women argue that 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed about the increase in the state pension age, which was aligned with men’s.
The interview quickly took a tense turn as Powell was confronted with the party’s failure to fully back the WASPI women. Roger Johnson pointed out, “You’re not the most popular government six months in,” referencing recent changes to winter fuel payments and the refusal of payouts to WASPI women. He then asked, “Do you think people feel let down though? People wanted change, I agree, I’m sure you’re right. But can you understand why people feel really disappointed?”
Powell responded, “Well, I can understand people’s frustration. It’s frustration that I share because we want to make things better faster for people. It’s a bit like turning around a really huge oil tanker. That’s what we’re faced with here and it’s been a challenge to do that” told GB News. She acknowledged the difficulty of the government’s decisions, such as means testing winter fuel allowances, but defended the approach by saying, “We knew it was going to be difficult… and that’s why they voted for change.”
The conversation heated up further when Warhurst brought up Powell’s past support for the WASPI cause, referencing a 2019 statement where Powell said these women had faced “a lifetime of inequality.” “You can see why their expectation was that Labour would meet their demand with promises from you and the Prime Minister, and of course that’s not come,” Warhurst said. Powell tried to justify the shift, saying, “Well of course, that was from 2019… but things have changed over the last few years.”
Johnson interrupted, pointing out, “No, not for them,” as Powell continued to struggle with her explanation. She mentioned that her own aunt is a WASPI woman and “isn’t happy at all,” but ultimately couldn’t offer a solution, admitting, “I can’t see that.”
The conversation ended with Warhurst’s sharp comment: “Yes, but again WASPI women will be watching and saying ‘we thought Labour were on our side but Labour is not on our side.'” Fans quickly voiced their anger on social media, with one tweeting, “Who is this b***h this morning on about WASPI women, what a load of tosh, you snidey turncoat, how do you sleep at night? #bbcbreakfast.” Others echoed frustration with Powell’s stance, calling her comments “deflecting” and accusing her of turning her back on the very people who supported her.
The interview highlighted ongoing tensions between politicians and the public as the debate over the WASPI women’s compensation continues to divide opinions.