Waspi women hold Labour leader Keir Starmer hostage in final compensation showdown

I have no sympathy for him, because it's a pickle of his own making. I am fascinated to see how he will try to squirm out of it, though, because it won't be easy.

Just over two years ago now, I broke the news that Starmer had come out in support of the Women Against State Pension Injustice (Waspi) campaign.

Campaigners were thrilled, and I was thrilled for them, calling it a “major boost in their battle for compensation”.

I've interviewed many Waspi women, and have been impressed by the way they have battled for justice against an establishment that has only ever wanted one thing from them: to go away.

Yet I feared their chances of redress were close to zero. That it would end up in a Westminster stitch up (and I still fear that may be the case).

So I was genuinely surprised to see Starmer publicly rally to the cause. I thought he was taking a big risk, and he is not a natural risk taker.

Because at some point, there was a real chance he might be asked to put on taxpayers' money where his mouth was.

And now we’ve reached that point.

In March 2022, members of the Waspi Campaign 2018 secured a pledge of support after they met Starmer at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Glasgow.

I say met, but wonder if hijacked may be a better word. 

Or kidnapped.

He's certainly in a bind today.

Scottish Waspi members Anne Potter and Elaine Watts got Starmer to hold up a signed pledge saying: "I support fair and fast compensation for 1950s women.”

Happily, I still have the photo.

His smile looks genuine enough. I don't think anyone was holding a gun to his head. I'm not sure he'll be smiling today, though.

Hilary Simpson, chair of the Waspi Campaign, called Sir Keir's support "huge". She was right there.

His deputy Angela Rayner and other senior Labour figures have also held up placards supporting Waspi.

Campaigners also secured the backing of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey, and Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts.

That disparate band of leaders had one key thing in common. The compensation decision wasn't theirs to make. No Prime Minister has ever backed Waspi, because then they would have to do something about it rather than simply signal how righteous they are.

Labour has never actually promised compensation, for all its parading with placards.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer underestimates WASPI women at his own peril

Waspi campaigners refused to put a figure on how much compensation they expect. However, they calculate the average women born in the 1950s lost £50,000 in state pension after the retirement age for women was hiked from 60 to 66.

When former labour leader Jeremy Corbyn backed compensation for Waspi at the 2019 election, he pledged to give them £31,300 each.

Total estimated bill: £58billion.

At the time it was seen as an huge error, suggesting that a Corbyn government would chuck money around. Even Waspi women were wary.

Starmer risks falling into the same trap. Unfortunately, it's a trap he set himself.

Paying Waspi members today would cost taxpaers at least £10.5billion, depending on what level of compensation Parliament chose.

That would leave Labour with even less money to spend if it takes power.

Starmer could make himself a hero of the left – for a day – by making good on his pledge of support.

The downside is that this will leave him open to Tory charges of profligacy. So which way will he jump? Anyone who knows that, knows how the Waspi story ends.