Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has criticised the hypocrisy of Keir Starmer’s Labour Government after they confirmed there would be no financial compensation for WASPI women in Gosport, Lee on the Solent, Stubbington, and Hill Head, despite many Labour MPs and candidates promising to deliver this.
The decision follows the Ombudsman’s finding that there had been maladministration in the DWP between 2005-2007 under the last Labour Government.
Caroline rose in the House of Commons on Tuesday to highlight the PHSO report’s findings, during the Government’s announcement that WASPI women would receive no compensation.
Speaking at the statement, Caroline said:
“The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report says what many WASPI women across my constituency have been saying for years, which is that between 2005 and 2007 the DWP and the last Labour Government let them down. I am therefore grateful to the Secretary of State for her apology, but that will come as cold comfort to those who are in this situation in the face of no financial compensation.
“If I am right in what I hear, she says mitigation is too complicated and that it is someone else’s fault. That will be no comfort to those impacted. What conversations does the Secretary of State plan to have with the WASPI women to see what more support can be put in place for those most impacted?”
In 2022, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer signed a pledge calling for WASPI women to receive ‘fair and fast’ compensation. Just last year, Keir Starmer said that the women affected by the changes have been put in an ‘awful position’ and it’s ‘a huge injustice’. In 2019, Liz Kendall described herself as a ‘longstanding supporter of the WASPI campaign’.
It was imagined that voters considered the Labour party supporters of compensation for WASPI women following statements like these.
But on Monday, the Labour Government announced that they will not deliver on that pledge. For many, this announcement will come as a shock following the past support and promises in opposition from senior Labour figures – including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall.
In government, the Conservatives fully cooperated with the Ombudsman and their investigation and continually increased the State Pension so that both men and women received a better deal. Thanks to Conservative increases to the State Pension increased by £3,700 between 2010 and 2024.
Commenting, Caroline said:
“With over 15,000 pensioners in the Gosport Constituency already reeling from losing their Winter Fuel Payment, now WASPI women are feeling the cold winds of Labour’s broken Election promises too. After multiple senior Labour figures, including the Prime Minister, committed to delivering compensation, the hypocrisy of this decision is staggering.
“Labour attempted to sneak this announcement in, before Christmas, with no warning because they lack the courage to take responsibility for their choices, which are being paid for by pensioners in Gosport.”
Helen Whately MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said:
“It’s no surprise that Labour have broken the promises they made to WASPI women in opposition.
“Yet again, they said one thing to get elected and are now doing another. Just like they had ‘no plans’ to take the Winter Fuel Payment from 10 million pensioners. They shouldn’t expect to get away with this hypocrisy.
“Instead of trying to blame their decisions on everyone else, for once they should own the choice that they’ve made.”
ENDS
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