Waspi women latest: Labour face vicious backlash as 3.8 million women denied compensation – UK Times

Daily Mirror: We have been betrayed

Daily Mail: Betrayal that proves Labour cynically said ANYTHING to get elected

The Times: Labour MPs rebel over new blow to pensioners

Daily Express: Labour have betrayed our OAPs time after time!

Morning Star: Kendall refuses Waspi cash deal

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who previously backed the Waspi campaign, has said an “expensive compensation bill” was not a good use of taxpayer funds.

Mr Reeves said: “I understand that women affected by the changes to the state pension age feel disappointed by this decision, but we looked in full at the ombudsman recommendations and they said that around 90% of women did know that these changes were coming.

“And as Chancellor, I have to account for every penny of taxpayers’ money spent.

“And given that the vast majority of people did know about these changes, I didn’t judge that it would be the best use of taxpayers’ money to pay an expensive compensation bill for something that most people knew was happening.”

Around six years ago, Labour MPs gave a standing ovation to Waspi women who staged a protest from the House of Commons public gallery.

The protest took place soon after former chancellor Philip Hammond had concluded his 2018 Budget statement. Many Labour MPs – then under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn – stood up to applaud.

Sir Keir Starmer, near the Speaker and next to Emily Thornberry, appears to stand up alongside fellow MPs – but it is unclear if he is applauding.

Improving public services for pensioners is a better use of taxpayers money than compensating the Waspi women, government minister Rushanara Ali said this morning.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “The fact is that we have got a huge, huge job to do in terms of making sure that the conditions that pensioners live in in our country are improved and that’s why our focus is on protecting the triple lock, which will unlock £30 billion in this Parliament, supporting pensioners… and that includes those who are women born in the 1950s.

“We are absolutely committed to tackling the public service crisis in the NHS, making sure we’ve got more policing in our streets, which is about security and safety for pensioners and support for the NHS, they need those services.

“So this Government has inherited a devastating set of issues, we are responding to those challenges.”

Government minister Rushanara Ali is defending the decision not to award compensation to the Waspi women in the morning media round.

Speaking with Sky News, she described the fallout over the Waspi women compensation as “deeply regrettable”, but that compensation would not be a “fair or proportionate” use of taxpayer money.

“The situation is that in terms of the compensation, it would be up to some £10 billion, which we don’t feel is fair or proportionate in terms of use of public money, given that some 90% of those affected, according to the ombudsman’ report, it would not have been made a difference in terms of the delay in the letters,” the homelessness ministersaid.

“But the reality is, this has been a very difficult issue for those affected, and it’s deeply regrettable, and lessons will need to be learned.”

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:

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:

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.