Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jon Ashworth backed himself into a bizarre corner on The Today Programme this morning, by refusing to say whether he opposed Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey’s call for pay rise restraint five times. The left isn’t happy unsurprisingly…

Studio: Where do you stand on the Bank of England governor’s call for wage restraint? 
JA: Well what is happening here is two economic problems coming into focus… 

Studio: So should people be asking for more money or not? 
JA: What I think we need is action to protect people with the cost of living…

Studio: No but on wages, sorry to press you, on wages which is what the governor was talking about, the governor said particularly people who are better off said don’t ask for more money, that was the thrust of what he was saying. Was he right or wrong to make that appeal?
JA: Well people are going to ask for a fair wage rise if the government doesn’t do something.

Studio: Right so it’s reasonable for people to ask for more money? 
JA: Let me give you a proposal that the government could do…

Studio: Yes but I was asking about wages, I’m just not completely clear about whether you support the governor of the Bank of England or not?
JA: I’m giving you a proposal to help people cope with the cost of living crisis now… 

As Owen Jones tweeted, “Labour – a party set up to represent workers – can’t even support workers fighting for better wages during a cost of living crisis”…