Fans asked ‘how can you sleep at night’ as Labour MP Lucy Powell tried to defend the government’s actions over WASPI Women on BBC Breakfast.
Lucy Powell, leader of the House of Commons, appeared on BBC Breakfast to speak to Roger Johnson and Nina Warhurst about some of the government’s latest changes. The hosts and fans ripped into the politician with her being quizzed about why the Labour party are not fully backing the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) women.
The campaign argues that 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in the state pension age to bring them into line with men. Roger pointed out to the MP: “You’re not the most popular government six months in,” as he highlighted changes to winter fuel payments and WASPI women being refused payouts this week.
The MP replied: “We knew it was going to be difficult. I think the voters and the public knew it was going to be difficult too and that’s why they voted for change, because we knew that the country was in such a bad situation going into that election.”
Roger interrupted her to ask: “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?”
“Well I can understand people’s frustration,” Powell replied. “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.
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Lucy Powell appeared on BBC Breakfast (Image: BBC)
The BBC hosts quizzed Powell on the government’s latest moves (Image: BBC)
“So we have had to take some difficult decisions like means testing winter fuel allowance, which are not decisions that we want to take.”
Nina pointed out that WASPI women have been hitting headlines this week, before they played a clip of the MP “aligning herself with the WASPI cause.” Back in 2019, Powell said that these women had already faced a “lifetime of inequality”.
The BBC host held the MP accountable as she said: “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.”
Powell replied: “Well of course, that was from 2019 which was ahead of that election where we did have a manifesto to do something about WASPI women. But things have changed over the last few years.”
Roger interrupted as he said: “No, not for them.” Trying to dig herself out of the hole that she was in, Powell continued: “Well things have changed a bit actually.”
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She stammered before adding that her auntie is a WASPI woman and “isn’t happy at all” so she “gets it”. However, she went on to say that it all began back in 2011 when the pension age was highered and they didn’t believe in “spending £10 billion on a miscommunication that actually found 90% of women did know the pension age was going to change”.
When asked if things would be “revisted” and if the government will “make things right” for the WASPI women, Powell replied: “I can’t see that. And obviously things have changed since then as well, especially for women of this pension age too. The triple lock is really boosting the value of pension.”
Nina added a final skewer as she interrupted to say: “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 on social media couldn’t believe what they were hearing, with one posting to X/Twitter: “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.”
Another added: “Now that Lucy Powell has got what she wanted, she’s turned her back on those that actually deserve it. #BBCBreakfast,” with a third commenting: “Lucy Powell has been deflecting for 10 minutes and is about as much use as t*ts on fish. #BBCBreakfast.”
“#BBCBreakfast Politicians constantly telling us why certain things cannot be afforded (WASPI women, Winter Fuel Payments), but can find the money to put their mates into the House of Lords. Why is this never questioned?,” someone else asked.
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