Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has launched a scathing attack on the UK Government, branding its refusal to establish a compensation scheme for Waspi women as a "historic betrayal" by the Labour administration. In a strongly worded statement, Mr Swinney expressed deep regret over the decision, which leaves women born in the 1950s without redress for losses incurred due to state pension age changes.
Labour Government Rejects Compensation Programme
UK Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden informed the House of Commons that implementing a targeted compensation programme would be "not be practical", while a broader, flat-rate scheme could potentially cost taxpayers up to £10.3 billion. Mr McFadden defended the decision by asserting that the "vast majority of 1950s-born women already knew the state pension age was increasing" through extensive public information campaigns.
These awareness efforts reportedly included distribution of leaflets, educational campaigns, information displayed in GP surgeries, television and radio broadcasts, cinema advertisements, and online resources. The minister argued that creating a scheme to specifically compensate only those women who suffered genuine injustice would require verifying individual circumstances for millions of women, presenting significant administrative challenges.
Waspi Campaigners Express Outrage
Angela Madden, chairwoman of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi), condemned the Government's stance, accusing it of treating 1950s-born women with "utter contempt". The Waspi organisation has campaigned persistently for affected women to receive appropriate compensation for financial losses resulting from the accelerated increase in their state pension age.
Mr McFadden confirmed that after reviewing the original decision not to offer payouts, the current UK Government had "come to the same conclusion on compensation" as former work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall announced in December 2024.
Holyrood Confrontation Over Pension Justice
During First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament, SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson, who convenes Holyrood's Finance Committee, raised the contentious issue with Mr Swinney. Mr Gibson described the Labour Government's decision as representing "a new low, even for them", highlighting the political significance of the compensation refusal.
Mr Swinney responded with forceful criticism, stating: "I think this is deeply regrettable that there is no compensation going to be in place for the Waspi women. These women were promised, in good faith, that the Labour Party would address when they got into Government this historic injustice, and it is just another example of the betrayal of individuals in this country by this Labour Government."
Accusations of Electoral Deception
The First Minister escalated his condemnation, accusing Labour leaders of deliberate deception: "This latest refusal of the Labour Government is a historic betrayal of women in Scotland. It is yet another example of Labour saying one thing to get elected and doing the opposite as soon as they are in Government – they have not even tried to keep the promises they made."
Mr Swinney specifically targeted Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alleging: "Keir Starmer and the Labour Party strung women in Scotland along for years, only to turn round and utterly betray them the second they got into Downing Street. They used Waspi women as a prop for photo-ops and had no intention of delivering what they promised. It is a disgrace and they should be ashamed."
Political Fallout and Electoral Implications
With Scottish Parliament elections approaching in May, the compensation decision has ignited significant political controversy. Mr Swinney challenged Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to clarify whether he supports the UK Government's position, stating: "The SNP Government stands behind Waspi women in their demands for justice – and the question now is whether Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour will stand with pensioners in Scotland, or whether he will stand up for Keir Starmer who has just betrayed them."
Kirsty Blackman, the SNP work and pensions spokeswoman at Westminster, reinforced these accusations, stating the decision "confirms what many of us already knew and feared – Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar cynically lied to the Waspi women to win votes at the last general election".
She elaborated: "Before the last general election, Sir Keir Starmer promised to compensate the Waspi women, with Labour Party politicians lined up behind Waspi placards and pledges; only to sit on their hands when they could actually do something about it. It's no wonder so many have lost faith in the Westminster political establishment."
Ms Blackman concluded with a warning about electoral consequences: "Waspi women deserve so much better, they deserve fair and fast compensation. With an election looming at Holyrood in May, women who had lost out, along with their supporters, would 'not forget that blatant broken promise from Keir Starmer's Labour Party'."
