Waspi women latest: Starmer accused of ‘breaking promise’ as he denies ‘misleading’ women over compensation
Starmer’s Labour was accused of broken promises at PMQs over its decision not to pay compensation to 3.8 million Waspi women
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Your support makes all the difference.Mother of the House Diane Abbott has accused the Labour government of breaking a previous promise to compensate the Waspi women, as Sir Keir Starmer was grilled in PMQs.
Calls for women born in the 1950s to receive thousands in compensation were rejected yesterday by work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall. The Waspi women say they were not properly aware of the rise in state pension age from 60 to 65, and that it has affected their retirement plans.
“We did promise them that we would give them justice,” Ms Abbott said. “I understand the issue about the cost, but does the prime minister really understand how let down Waspi women feel today?”
The government’s decision has sparked “raw fury” among campaigners.
Labour’s refusal of compensation comes despite the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) ruling that affected women were due compensation of typically £1,000 to £2,950 each.
Downing Street said Sir Keir does not accept that he “misled” Waspi campaigners by backing their calls for compensation.
“The prime minister and the secretary of state yesterday were very clear that this is a difficult decision, it is not one that has been taken lightly, but it’s based on the evidence in the Ombudsman’s report,” Sir Keir’s official spokesperson said.
Labour accused of betraying WASPI women to win election after compensation snub
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of betraying women affected by changes to the state pension age after using them to get elected.
The prime minister came under fire on Wednesday after work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall rejected calls for 3.8m affected individuals to be given £1,000 and £2,950 each in compensation.
Homelessness minister Rushanara Ali was sent out to defend the government’s decision, but faced a heated Sky News interview in which presenter Kay Burley said Labour had “made a promise time and time again” to affected women before the general election.
“And now you’ve literally said, ‘nah, sorry, it’s not happening’,” Ms Burley said.
Ms Ali repeated Ms Kendall’s apology on behalf of the government to women affected by the change, which hiked the state pension age from 60 to 65, with millions claiming they were not properly aware.
She said: “Lessons need to be learned for the future and I absolutely understand this is really, really difficult.
“We will need to make sure these things do not happen again.”
Read the full report from political correspondent Archie Mitchell:
Labour accused of betraying WASPI women to win election after compensation snub
The Labour government came under fire on Wednesday after work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall rejected calls for 3.8m affected individuals to be given £1,000 and £2,950 each in compensation
‘Day of shame’: Labour will not pay compensation to 3.8 million Waspi women, Liz Kendall announces
Ministers have been accused of presiding over a “day of shame” for the Labour government after they announced that up to 3.8 million women affected by changes to the state pension age will not receive compensation.
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall rejected calls for individuals affected to be awarded between £1,000 and £2,950 each, while claiming she understood their unhappiness.
“I know there are women born in the 1950s who want and deserve a better life, they have worked hard in paid jobs and in bringing up their families,” she said.
She pledged the government would protect the pensions “triple lock”, drive down NHS waiting lists and deliver “the jobs, homes and opportunities your families need to build a better life”.
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
‘Day of shame’: Labour will not pay 3.8m Waspi women compensation, Kendall announces
Labour MP hits out at his own government as campaigners say decision not to compensate women up to £2,950 each ‘would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush’
Welcome to the live blog
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live politics blog.
We’ll bring you all the latest news and reaction, as the government faces backlash over the decision to refuse compensation for Waspi women, and inflation rises to 2.6 per cent.
Starmer speaks to Trump to discuss Ukraine and Middle East
Sir Keir Starmer spoke to US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday and “reiterated the need for allies to stand together with Ukraine”, Number 10 has said.
A Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement that the call opened with the Prime Minister congratulating Mr Trump on the recent appointments to his team.
The statement went on: “Both agreed on their joint ambition to strengthen the close and historic relationship between the UK and the US. They looked forward to working together on shared priorities, including international security and delivering economic growth and prosperity.
“Turning to global conflicts, the Prime Minister reiterated the need for allies to stand together with Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and to ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position.
“On the Middle East, the Prime Minister underscored the need to work together to ensure peace and security in the region.
“They agreed to keep in touch and looked forward to seeing one another at the earliest opportunity.”
Comment: Labour’s betrayal of Waspi women is a sign its problems now go far beyond pensioners
By alienating the demographic most likely to turn out to vote, Keir Starmer will now struggle to shake off accusations that his government is happy to say one thing and do another, says John Rentoul
Labour’s betrayal of Waspi women is a sign its problems now go far beyond pensioners
By alienating the demographic most likely to turn out to vote, Keir Starmer will now struggle to shake off accusations that his government is happy to say one thing and do another, says John Rentoul
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