Trending/politics· Updated Oct 20, 2026

Phillip Watts Faces Backlash After Remarks About Female MPs in Budget Debate

Phillip Watts faces backlash for remarks about female Government MPs during the 2027 budget debate. Women’s and opposition groups have called for Parliament to reject sexism.

Photo via Guardian · from Watts criticised over comments on female MPs

4 reports from 2 outlets · First reported Mon, Oct 19

Summary

Updated Oct 21, 2026

Phillip Watts made remarks about female Government MPs’ appearance and moral values during the 2027 budget debate.
Express +1
Political figures and women’s groups condemned the remarks as sexist, inappropriate and harmful to women’s dignity.
Guardian +1
Pennelope Beckles criticised Kamla Persad-Bissessar for not publicly condemning Watts’ remarks.
Guardian
Women Parliamentarians of Trinidad and Tobago said women MPs should be judged by public service, not appearance or private lives.
Guardian

Automatically summarised from the coverage below.

Coverage

Oct 20, 2026

Women Parliamentarians (WPTT) condemn "sexist" remarks made during Budget debate

The Women Parliamentarians of Trinidad and Tobago condemned sexist and sexual remarks made during the recent budget debate, saying women MPs should be judged by their public service, not their appearance or private lives. Their statement follows criticism of UNC MP Phillip Watts, whose comments drew objections from other MPs and women’s groups, and renewed calls for Parliament to reject sexism.

Oct 20, 2026

Beckles disappointed at PM’s support of Watts’ ‘attack’ on women

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles sharply criticised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for not condemning Minister Phillip Watts’ remarks about women in Parliament, saying the comments were offensive and inappropriate. She warned that such behaviour sends the wrong message to young women and urged political leaders to model respect, integrity and restraint.

Oct 19, 2026

Watts criticised over comments on female MPs

UNC MP Phillip Watts has been criticised after telling Parliament during the 2027 budget debate that female MPs on the Government side were “good-looking” and had “a lot of moral values,” prompting objections from the PNM and accusations of sexism. The remarks drew condemnation from the PNM National Women’s League and former UNC senator Anita Haynes Alleyne, who said they had no place in Parliament and undermined women’s dignity.

Oct 19, 2026

Watts under fire

Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Phillip Watts drew backlash after making remarks in Parliament about the appearance and sexual morality of female Government MPs during Saturday’s budget debate. His comments were condemned by opposition figures and women’s advocates, even as he defended the Government’s youth programmes and accused the former PNM administration of leaving the Civilian Conservation Corps in disarray.

Phillip Watts Faces Backlash After Remarks About Female MPs in Budget Debate

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