Lucy in the sky....

Lucy Powell is a Labour MP for Manchester Central and also Leader of the House of Commons. She is a senior Labour figure but boy oh boy has she faced significant backlash over comments she made during a BBC Radio 4 Any Questions broadcast. Have a listen…

The snide comments appeared to dismiss the issue of grooming gangs as a “dog whistle” and “little trumpet,” and have sparked widespread outrage, calls for her resignation, and accusations of total insensitivity toward victims of sexual exploitation. Rupert Lowe MP send this letter to Powell.

All this controversy stems from a discussion about local councils, during which Powell responded to a question about rape gangs—networks responsible for the systemic sexual abuse of young white girls in several UK towns. Her remarks suggested that even raising the issue was politically motivated, describing it as “blowing that little trumpet” and a “dog whistle,” terms implying the topic was being exploited for divisive or populist ends.

Victims’ advocates and political opponents, interpreted this as trivialising the suffering of survivors and dismissing the need for accountability. Robert Jenrick, the Conservative shadow justice secretary, labelled Powell’s comments a “disgusting betrayal of the victims,” while a Reform UK spokesman called them “abhorrent,” reflecting Labour’s alleged disconnect from public concerns.

A panicked Powell then went into damage limitation mode and issued a statement “clarifying” that her remarks were aimed at “challenging political point-scoring” rather than dismissing victims’ experiences. Yes, sure. However, she stopped short of a full apology, which has then further fuelled criticism.

The controversy places more pressure on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to address the issue, as it risks alienating voters already frustrated with the party’s early governance challenges. Labour is in such a bind over this issue and it distils down to one issue; The Rape Gangs were mostly Pakistani Muslim and Pakistani Muslims are a core Labour voting bloc. THAT is the real difficulty for Starmer and Powell.

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