Starmer accused of betraying Waspi women as he rules out vote on compensation
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Sir Keir Starmer has denied MPs a vote on his Government’s decision to rule out compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age, as he was accused of “betrayal” by his own MPs. The Prime Minister insisted taxpayers could not afford the £10.5 billion compensation package, and would not rise to calls for a vote on the decision as he came under fire in the Commons.
But Downing Street said it had “no plans” for a vote on the issue, adding MPs had “an opportunity to have their say” on Tuesday. Sir Keir, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall – who ruled out a compensation package on Tuesday – are among the senior ministers who backed the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign when Labour was in opposition.
Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott accused the Government of betraying the Waspi women. “Promising one thing in Opposition and doing the opposite in Government is a betrayal,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, after she joined rebel left-wing MPs in criticising the decision at Prime Minister’s Questions.
“We did promise them that we will give them justice. I understand the issue about the cost, but does the Prime Minister really understand how let down Waspi women feel today?” she told the Commons. Sir Keir insisted that paying compensation was not affordable when asked by Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake if rejecting the financial package was part of his “Government of change”.
