Sir Keir Starmer has faced growing Labour calls to establish a compensation scheme for women affected by state pension age changes after 10 of his MPs supported a proposed law.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn was given permission by MPs to introduce the Women’s State Pension age (Ombudsman report and compensation scheme) Bill to the House of Commons for further consideration by 105 votes to zero, majority 105.
Mr Flynn’s Bill would require ministers to publish measures to address the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) report, which recommended the UK Government pay compensation to women born in the 1950s whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal with men.
The watchdog said the women should be paid up to £2,950 each, a package with a potential total cost of £10.5 billion to the public purse, as poor communication meant they had lost out on the chance to plan their retirement finances.
But the Government last month ruled out a compensation package despite Prime Minister Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves being among the senior ministers to support the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign when Labour was in opposition.
The division list showed supporters of Mr Flynn’s Bill included Labour MPs Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool), Julia Buckley (Shrewsbury), Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole), Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire), Terry Jermy (South West Norfolk), Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth), Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields), Melanie Onn (Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes), Jon Trickett (Normanton and Hemsworth) and Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr).
The vote was viewed as a symbolic show of support for the compensation proposal as private members’ bills (PMBs) introduced by MPs face a battle to become law if they do not receive Government support and fail to secure parliamentary time to clear the necessary stages.
Mr Flynn told the Commons: “This Bill seeks to do the right thing by those people who we made a promise to.”
He added many of the women affected by the pension changes would also have been paid less than their male counterparts, struggled to progress up the career ladder and their decisions on having children could have had an impact on their career.
Mr Flynn said: “That was an unforgivable injustice that they had to experience and we should not be compounding that injustice by not providing them with the compensation that they deserve for having their pension entitlement changed.”
Defining issues of that last parliament can still be defining issues of this Parliament but only if the Government acts to provide the compensation and redress that these women so badly deserve
Stephen Flynn, SNP
He read out remarks previously made by Sir Keir and other ministers in support of the Waspi campaign before adding: “This is a defining issue.
“Many of us in the last parliament watched on as a TV show changed the mind of the Government in respect of the Post Office Horizon (scandal). Many of us watched on as Parliament itself forced the Government to change tack when it came to the infected blood scandal.
“Many of us have spoken about the Equitable Life scandal, the Hillsborough disaster, the loan charge debacle and, indeed, the Waspi campaign.
“Defining issues of that last parliament can still be defining issues of this Parliament but only if the Government acts to provide the compensation and redress that these women so badly deserve.”
Mr Flynn introduced his Bill using the 10-minute rule process.
This allowed him up to 10 minutes to make a speech on why he wanted to introduce his PMB.
Such motions are rarely opposed as their approval simply means a Bill has received a first reading, which involves having its title being read out and an order for the Bill to be printed.
Mr Flynn asked for his Bill to be considered further at second reading on March 7.
