Dua Lipa uses BRITs speech to call for better pay for frontline workers

"It's very good to clap for them, but we need to pay them..."

Dua Lipa called on Boris Johnson to give frontline workers a "fair" pay rise as she accepted the award for best British female solo artist at the BRITs on Tuesday. The government's proposal to increase NHS staff wages by a mere 1% for workers in England has been widely criticised, with the public urged to show their disapproval by taking part in a slow clap in March. Dua dedicated her award to Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, the emeritus professor of nursing at the University of West London, explaining in her acceptance speech that a message needed to be sent to the Prime Minister regarding the proposed pay rise. "She [Dame Elizabeth] has spent her stellar nursing career fighting racial injustice," she said. "She has also spent so much time and is a strong, strong advocate for protecting frontline workers. "She has also said that there’s a massive disparity between gratitude and respect for frontline workers because it’s very good to clap for them but we need to pay them. "And so I think what we should do is we should all give a massive, massive round of applause and give Boris a message that we all support a fair pay rise for our frontline." https://twitter.com/dexjennings98/status/1392210824631103492 Her words were well received by the 4,000-strong audience at the London O2 Arena, the majority of which were NHS workers.