The Spice Girls have invited Prime Minister Theresa May to their upcoming London reunion shows, a move that has reignited debate about the group's 'girl power' message. Geri Horner personally extended the invitation, with Downing Street confirming May is 'considering' the offer.
Horner previously praised May in an interview, stating: 'We don't have to agree on politics... You can just support a woman doing the best she can.' This follows comments from Emma Bunton that the group now stands for 'people power' rather than 'girl power', emphasising equality and bringing everyone together.
Critics argue the endorsement undermines the original feminist ethos of 'girl power', which was specifically about uplifting women. The Women's Budget Group found that women would bear 85% of the financial burden of Tory austerity measures, while May's tenure as home secretary saw controversies at Yarl's Wood immigration centre.
This is not the first time the Spice Girls have faced accusations of conservative leanings. In 1996, Victoria Beckham expressed Eurosceptic views, and Horner famously called Margaret Thatcher 'the original Spice Girl'. More recently, she bestowed that title on Winston Churchill.
