All the moments high Labour ministers backed WASPI marketing campaign – earlier than epic U-turn

The Labour government is facing a huge backlash after rejecting calls to give WASPI women compensation.

Ministers have been accused of betraying more than three million women who lost out on years of state pension payments when their retirement age was raised without them knowing. Campaigners were shocked and horrified at Labour’s announcement it would not honour their compensation demands after years of promising to support them.

Senior Labour figures, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have all backed the WASPI campaign in recent years. The WASPI campaign has collected around 100 photos of Labour MPs with campaigners – many of them holding placards calling for compensation. And in 2019 Labour made an official announcement that it would give WASPI women compensation if it was elected to government.

But in an epic U-turn on Tuesday, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced the government has dismissed the recommendations of a bombshell ombudsman report which they should get payouts. There were shouts of “shame” as she said it would not be a “fair or proportionate use of taxpayers money” despite apologising for her department’s maladministration.

In March the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman called on Parliament to urgently pay out between £1,000 and £2,950 to each 1950s-born woman affected due to the shambolic handling of the pension age rise. Thousands were thrown into poverty because they weren’t informed about the change and could not plan for their future.

Here’s a look at all the top Labour ministers who have supported the WASPI campaign.

Keir Starmer

In 2022 Keir Starmer said WASPI women faced a “real injustice” and said “we need to do something about it”.

He said: “All your working life you’ve got in mind the date on which you can retire and get your pension, and just as you get towards it, the goalposts are moved and you don’t get it, and it’s a real injustice. We need to do something about it. That wasn’t the basis on which you paid in or the basis on which you were working.”

Angela Rayner

Angela Rayner, now the deputy Prime Minister, was fierce in her support of the WASPI campaign in an interview with the BBC in 2019. She said the Tory-Lib Dem coalition “stole this money” from women born in the 1950s and vowed to “right that injustice” by giving them compensation.

The interview took place after Labour announced a promise to give compensation to WASPI women – which triggered a backlash from the Lib Dems and Tories about how they would pay for it. But Ms Rayner insisted a Labour government would “find that money”, adding: “The government failed the women who were born in the 1950s. They stole their pension, that contract, that agreement that they thought they had, and then accelerated it so that those women didn’t have the chance to prepare for that.

“We’ve said we’ll right that injustice, and within the five years of the Labour government, we will compensate them for the money that they’ve lost. This is their money that they’ve had stolen off them, and it’s completely unacceptable, and any government, any government, should act responsibly to these women… and it’s absolutely right that we deal with this issue.”

Rachel Reeves

In 2020 Rachel Reeves was photographed with WASPI campaigners at an international women’s day event holding a placard saying: “I will work with WASPI to identify and deliver a fair solution for all women affected.” The campaign group wrote online that WASPI members “were delighted that Rachel supports our campaign for state pension justice”.

But four years later the now-Chancellor has insisted that paying an “expensive compensation bill” is not the best use of taxpayers’ money. “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,” she said.

“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.”

Liz Kendall

Liz Kendall – who announced the government was rejected calls for compensation – has multiple posts on her website voicing her support for the WASPI campaign. In 2019 she said: “As a result of changes made in 2011, women across the UK are now suffering financial hardship – with 3300 women affected in Leicester West alone! This injustice can’t go on.

“I have been a longstanding supporter of the WASPI campaign and I was proud to meet WASPI women again in Parliament recently to sign their pledge and reaffirm my commitment to support their campaign.” She also added a link to the WASPI campaign website so her constituents could read more about their demands.

In another post in 2017, she shared a photo of herself with campaigners for their “day of action” in her Leicester constituency. She said: “Despite a huge campaign and the brilliant work of the WASPI campaign, the Conservatives have refused to budge. If I am re-elected on June 8th I pledge to continue supporting WASPI and to work in Parliament to find a solution for the women affected.”

Yvette Cooper

In 2019 Yvette Cooper, who is now Home Secretary, posted a photo of herself with WASPI campaigners on her social media and warned they needed a “fair pensions deal”.

She wrote: “For the tireless WASPI campaigners, today’s High Court battle is a real disappointment. But the campaign won’t stop. Women born in the 1950s have been really badly treated over their retirement age by the Conservative Government who moved the goalposts at the last minute when it was too late for them to plan. WASPI women need a fair pensions deal.”

Peter Kyle

Tech Secretary Peter Kyle has voiced his support for the WASPI campaign in multiple posts on his website. In 2018 he said the impact of the scandal on those affected was “profound and disturbing”. He added: “During the 2017 General Election I signed the WASPI Pledge, promising my support both in the constituency and parliament until a solution is found.

“I have submitted petitions, asked written questions of the Government, met with constituents affected and chaired meetings with members of the House of Lords. I am determined that this gross injustice should not go unanswered and I shall continue to push the government into acting.”

Mr Kyle has also been photographed with campaigners holding a sign calling for compensation. Elsewhere on social media he said: “These campaigners are a total inspiration and I’m doing everything I can to help them deliver justice.”

Lisa Nandy

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was snapped with campaigners holding a placard reading: “I support fair and fast compensation for WASPI women. They have waited too long for justice.”

In 2017 she wrote on social media: “I’ve been proud to support the thousands of WASPI campaign women in Wigan during this Parliament #WASPIpledge.”

Tulip Siddiq

Economic Secretary Tulip Siddiq – who works alongside Chancellor Ms Reeves at the Treasury – was photographed with a placard calling for a “fair solution for all women affected”.

Campaigners posted the photo online in June 2024 – just six months ago – saying: “Thank you for pledging your support for #WASPI women in the past ⁦Tulip Siddiq. If you are re-elected please do all you can to secure #FairAndFastCompensation for us.”

Stephen Morgan

In a post on his website in 2022, education minister Stephen Morgan “pledged to continue his support for women born in the 1950s, whose State Pension Age was increased without proper notice, and to fight for the 9,000 women affected in the city, following meeting with Solent WASPI campaigners”.

Mr Morgan said at the time: “WASPI women have suffered – and continue to suffer – emotional hardship because of the lack of reasonable notice given by the DWP to changes in their State Pension Age… This compensation is particularly crucial given the age bracket of the women affected.

“They are now approaching old age amid a cost of living crisis, and this compensation money would have a monumental impact in alleviating their financial concerns. It was good to meet with Solent WASPI campaigners to agree how we will continue to keep the pressure on Ministers to finally end this pension injustice.”

Diana Johnson

In 2022 Home Office minister Diana Johnson posted a photo of herself with a WASPI campaigner holding a sign saying “fair and fast compensation”.

She wrote: “It was lovely to meet with WASPI campaign at the Labour Party Conference to show my support for women born in the 1950s, whose State Pension Age was increased without proper notice. I fully support their campaign for fast and fair compensation. #WASPI“

Lammy and Miliband

In 2019, an early day motion called for “financial restitution” to 1950s women. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and Scotland Secretary Ian Murray were among those to sign it.

Other signatories from Mr Starmer’s frontbench include Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, Chair of the Labour party Ellie Reeves, Commons leader Lucy Powell, Home Office ministers Dame Angela Eagle, Jess Phillips and Seema Malhotra, employment minister Alison McGovern, security minister Dan Jarvis, tech and culture minister Chris Bryant, children’s minister Janet Daby, health minister Stephen Kinnock and Treasury minister Alan Campbell.