Labour was accused of hypocrisy last night after abandoning a vow to compensate women hit by increases in the state pension age. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said government would not pay a penny to the 3.8million ‘Waspi women’ who were told they would have to work five years longer to receive their pension.Senior Labour figures, including Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Ms Kendall, all backed the women’s campaign in opposition.Well, of course they did. They wanted their votes. Now they've got them.
In 2022, Sir Keir signed a pledge calling for the women affected to receive ‘fair and fast’ compensation. Last year, he said they had faced a huge injustice’. But on Monday, the Prime Minister said the Government could not afford the estimated £10.5billion cost – which would have seen a payout of up to £3,000 to each of the more than 3million affected.
Just like the pensioners who have lost their winter fuel payment, these women will hopefully never vote Labour again.
It seems sensible not to rely totally on the government in this matter. I took out a private pension scheme when I was in my late twenties. A few years later I got married. I will be forever indebted to my wife, who understood such things better than I at the time, who looked at the statements and declared that I wasn’t paying enough into it. So together we increased our contributions year on year and could retire at a time of our own choosing.
ReplyDeleteThis was my comment over at Tim Worstall's blog on this issue.
Stonyground.
Yes, a bit of foresight would have saved all this, but a lot of women didn't pay attention because it wasn't seen as something women would need to do, more's the pity...
DeleteYou can tell when Starmer, Rayner, and Reeves, are lying. Their lips move. I wouldn't believe them if they said rain was wet.
ReplyDeletePenseivat
Surely by now, there cannot be anyone who DOESN'T regret voting for them?
DeleteThe Labour scum have realised that they are a one-term govt and they really don't care who they upset. I just hope they don't destroy the country so much in five years that things can't be put right.
ReplyDeleteJaded
Sadly, Jaded, it's not just them. The so-called Tories laid too much groundwork in their time in office - it'd take a miracle to unpick it all.
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