Labour is facing a massive backlash this morning for its decision not to pay out billions to the ‘Waspi women’ despite a recommendation from a parliamentary ombudsman to shell out between £1,000 and £2,950 to those affected by the well-publicised pension changes. Labour has even managed to lose the Mirror…
Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said in the Commons yesterday that compensation isn’t worth the £10 billion cost to the taxpayer as Reeves defends her decision this morning: “I didn’t judge that it would be the best use of taxpayers money to pay an expensive compensation bill for something most people knew was happening.” A decision Labour tried to delay as long as it could…
Guido is old enough to remember Labour’s position before the election, as laid out by Angela Rayner:
“This is their money that they had stolen from them. It was completely unacceptable. Any government should act responsibly to these women.”
Starmer said in July 2022 that Waspi women ‘faced injustice.’ Minister Rushanara Ali instead says this morning that Labour is “focussed on the living standards of pensioners – including Waspi women” as it blocks compensation. Pious briefing about their plight has come back to bite Labour – who would have guessed…
UPDATE: Well-established left-wing MPs like Rachael Maskell have voiced their opposition to Labour’s position as the row extends to the Labour backbenches.
Red Wall Labour backbencher Jonathan Brash told GB News that Starmer should resign:
“I’m completely fed up about it, and I think it’s got to the point now where I genuinely think that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, it’s not a case of if, it’s when.”
