Coffey singing Time of My Life is insensitive, says Khan

SADIQ KHAN, the Mayor of London, has accused Thérèse Coffey of being “insensitive” for singing (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life at a Conservative Party conference karaoke event just hours before a cut to Universal Credit came into force.

The Work and Pensions Secretary was captured on video performing a rendition of the Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes power ballad – used as the theme to the 1987 film Dirty Dancing – with the welfare minister Will Quince during a karaoke session in Manchester in the early hours of Wednesday.

Political opponents criticised the minister, with Labour calling the timing of her performance, as the £20-a-week uplift started to be removed for millions of people, “an insult and a disgrace”.

Asked if it was appropriate for Ms Coffey to sing that song as the cut came into force, Mr Khan said: “All of us are entitled to have a good time and let our hair down. [But] I think it’s a bit insensitive to sing a song – having the time of your life – on the eve of these cuts. I’m hoping it was just an oversight. I’m hoping it’s not the Secretary of State deliberately being insensitive and I think I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, told ITV’S Good Morning Britain that karaoke was a feature of all party conferences and called the criticism of Ms Coffey “unfair”, especially as she had been involved in last week’s government announcement of a £500 million Household Support Fund for vulnerable families, with grants to meet daily needs such as food, clothing and utilities.

“It is a sensitive time but she also was the Secretary of State who got the half a billion [pounds] that we announced as we were arriving in Manchester to deliver that additional help for those families that will really be in need of that,” he said. Mr Zahawi added that “parties and dance-offs and singing” happen at all party conferences.

He said: “It’s slightly unfair to link this with what we are trying to do to help the most needy with that half a billion that we announced just as we were getting to party conference.”