‘Justice is being denied to the WASPI women’

The government’s announcement that the WASPI women will not receive compensation is a profound injustice. These women followed the rules, planned appropriately for retirement, then found themselves penalised by Tory pension changes. The Parliamentary Ombudsman ruled that they were treated unjustly and deserved compensation. Refusing to act on the Ombudsman’s recommendation breaks public trust and leaves women paying the price for government failure. 

Although this mess was created by the Tories, it now has very real political consequences for the Labour government. The Gorton and Denton by-election is looming. There are 4,400 households in the constituency with a woman directly impacted by pension changes since 1995. In fact, there are 121 Labour-held seats across the country that have a majority smaller than the number of impacted women, including one Cabinet Minister – Wes Streeting. 

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These women have long felt that the system has let them down. By failing to right this wrong – despite numerous Cabinet Ministers having previously pledged support when in opposition – our party now faces difficult questions. 

It is worth remembering what politics looks like on the ground. Ordinary people do not need charts or economic models to see when things are wrong. They feel it in their pockets when they buy essential goods, pay household bills and draw their pension. The WASPI women are a stark reminder that justice is not just an abstract idea, but rather a reality that the state can either resolve or maintain. Choosing to maintain this injustice is a failure of political leadership. 

Labour’s task is not to accept inevitable defeat in this by-election. There is no iron law of politics that guarantees defeat in a seat the party won with a 13,000-vote majority just 18 months ago. But what is required is a clear and decisive change in direction. The government should focus on delivering real material improvements to people’s lives and on delivering social justice in a way that people can see and understand. 

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Trust in politics is at an all-time low. Rejecting the WASPI women is exactly the sort of disconnected decision-making that produces public distrust. The government should act in a way that restores confidence, not only in our party, but in the very idea that the government can work for normal people. This leaves me wondering why on earth the government has chosen to make this decision at this moment. It is completely counterproductive for Labour. 

We need to speak plainly and morally. This is about right and wrong. The WASPI women were promised fairness, but the state is failing to deliver it. This sends a message to all voters that promises cannot be trusted. If we are serious about winning back trust and about proving that Labour is on the side of normal people, then Labour has to change.

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The WASPI women have waited long enough. It is time for the government to recognise the damage this issue has caused and honour the Ombudsman’s recommendation for compensation. 

Justice delayed is justice denied. But justice delivered can rebuild trust. The government urgently needs to understand this before it’s too late.

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