Badenoch slams Starmer for 'playing politics' with WASPI women
Kemi Badenoch took aim at Sir Keir Starmer over the Waspi and winter fuel payment rows at PMQs.
The Tory leader claimed Labour had “played politics with the Waspi women” before asking how many more pensioners had applied for pension credit since winter fuel allowance cuts.
Sir Keir Starmer repeated his ￡22 billion black hole claim and said the “number one job of this Government was to put the public finances back in order after the last government lost control”.
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10 hours ago13:05 Katie Harris
SNP MP brands Starmer a 'one-trick phoney Prime Minister'
SNP MP Dave Doogan told the Commons: "Before the election, this Prime Minister said he would lower energy bills by ￡300. Since he took office, they've gone up by ￡149.
"He said he would protect the winter fuel payment but now he's in power he's stripped it off our pensioners.
"And he said he lined up for many photos with Waspi women saying he'd have their backs and he's just betrayed them in the most scandalous way possible. This is now the defining characteristic of this one-trick phoney Prime Minister, who says one thing and does another.
"In Scotland, the SNP are 16 points ahead in the polls. Does he understand why the people of these islands, especially those of us in Scotland, treat him with such contempt?"
The PM replied: "They used to ask those questions from this sort of area with very many MPs not so long ago. That all changed in July and he's now carping from right up there. We can hardly hear him."
10 hours ago13:04 Katie Harris
Abbott shames Starmer over Waspi women
Labour MP Diane Abbott, Mother of the House, has told the Commons that Waspi women "fought one of the most sustained and passionate campaigns for justice that I can remember".
The longest continuously serving female MP said at Prime Minister's Questions: "The Waspi women fought one of the most sustained and passionate campaigns for justice that I can remember, year in, year out.
"We did promise them that we would give them justice. I understand the issue about the cost but does the Prime Minister (Sir Keir Starmer) really understand how let down Waspi women feel today?"
Sir Keir replied: "I do understand the concern, of course I do."
He added: "The research is clear that 90% of those impacted did know about the change and in those circumstances the taxpayer simply can't afford the burden of tens of billions of pounds of compensation, but I do understand the concern."
10 hours ago12:49 Katie Harris
Starmer says taxpayer can't afford ￡10m Waspi compensation bill
Sir Keir Starmer said the taxpayer cannot afford the ￡10 billion compensation bill for Waspi women as research showed the majority of them already knew about the changes.
The Prime Minister acknowledged it was a "serious and complex" issue and branded the delay in letters being sent "unacceptable" in repsonse to a question from Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake.
He asked Sir Keir: "In 2022 the Prime Minister supported calls for fair and fast compensation for 1950s women impacted by the changes to the state pension. And yet just yesterday his Government rejected those same calls out of hand. Is this what the Prime Minister meant when he promised to lead a Government of change?"
The PM said: "This is a serious issue. Between 2005 and 2007 there was, I think, a 28-month delay in letters to women born in the 1950s about changes to pension age. That was unacceptable and it was right that the Government apologised for that.
"In 2011 the former chancellor George Osborne accelerated those changes with very little notice, that equally was unacceptable and Labour opposed it at the time. It is a serious issue, it is a complex issue, the research shows, as he knows, that 90% of those impacted knew about the changes that were taking place.
"And I'm afraid to say that taxpayers simply can't afford the tens of billions of pounds in compensation when the evidence shows that 90% of those impacted did know about it, that's because of the state of our economy."
10 hours ago12:29 Katie Harris
Badenoch issues Brexit warning
Kemi Badenoch said: “Now we learn he is about to give away our hard won Brexit freedoms.
“And he will pretend that this is about the past. But we all know these are his choices, bad choices.
“If he is looking for a New Year’s resolution, why doesn’t he start with telling the truth?”
Sir Keir Starmer replied: “I will do it now: A ￡22 billion black hole left by them, record numbers on the waiting lists... they should hang their heads in shame.”
10 hours ago12:19 Katie Harris
Badenoch erupts at 'jobs tax'
Kemi Badenoch turned to national insurance hikes unveiled in Labour's Budget in October.
She said: "The Chancellor's budget is a body blow to family, businesses and also charities.
"Marie Curie have warned that Labour's budget will cost them nearly ￡3 million a year. This is a cancer charity, saying they have no option but to reduce services.
"Did the Chancellor tell the Prime Minister that her jobs tax was going to hit charities?"
The PM insisted Labour was "driving up productivity, prosperity and living standards".
The PM responds to the Tory leader at PMQs (Image: PA)
10 hours ago12:17 Katie Harris
Badenoch warns pensioners could die this Christmas
Kemi Badenoch said pensioners "may even die" due to winter fuel payment cuts.
She told MPs: "We protected the triple lock during all our time in government, meanwhile, energy bills are increasing despite his promise to cut them by ￡300. In Scotland, his party leader wants to restore the winter fuel payments, across England councils are scrambling together funds for struggling pensioners.
"The tragic reality this Christmas is pensioners will suffer and may even die as a result of this cruel policy. Did the Chancellor consider the impact on councils and on the NHS, or does she just not know what she's doing?"
The PM said: "We're pushing up pension credit, but she now says they are committed to the triple lock, her shadow chancellor says they're not, that it's unsustainable, maybe over a sandwich or a steak they could sort it out and come back and tell us what their policy actually is."
10 hours ago12:15 Katie Harris
Winter fuel axe is 'last thing pensioners and NHS need' - Badenoch
The Tory leader said: "He didn't answer the question because he doesn't know the answer.
"There are 850,000 eligible pensioners not claiming pension credit. If they sign up, that will cost the Treasury ￡2.3 billion, wiping out the savings that the Chancellor claims she would make.
"Before the election his Chief Secretary told the public they had no plans to cut winter fuel, but they did have plans, didn't they? Age UK say cutting the winter fuel payment with very little notice will potentially jeopardise the health and finances of millions of older people. Does he agree with Age UK that this is the last thing that pensioners and the NHS need?"
Sir Keir Starmer replied: "We've been driving up with a campaign for pension credit. It's important that everybody who's entitled to it claims that pension credit. And she shouldn't claim some great victory. The record of their Government was people haven't signed up.
"We've been the ones with the campaign. They should be supporting it but because of the triple lock, pensions will be going up by ￡470 next April. She hasn't answered the question - her shadow chancellor said the triple lock is unsustainable. So she needs to explain how pensioners will be worse off under a Tory government."
The Leader of the Opposition speaks at PMQs (Image: Pa)
11 hours ago12:05 Katie Harris
Badenoch slams Starmer over Waspi and winter fuel cuts
Kemi Badenoch has accused Sir Keir Starmer of having "played politics" with the Waspi women.
The Conservative leader told the Commons: "For years the Prime Minister and his Cabinet played politics with the Waspi women.
"The Deputy Prime Minister said Conservatives were stealing their pensions. She promised to compensate them in full, another broken promise.
"Now they admit we were right all along. But let's ask about another group of pensioners whose trust was broken. Since the Chancellor cut winter fuel payments, how many extra people have applied for pension credit?"
The Prime Minister replied: "The number one job of this Government was to put the finances back in order after the last government lost control. They left a ￡22 billion black hole and we had to take tough choices. We made sure the most vulnerable pensioners do get the winter fuel payment and we have been encouraging them and driving up eligibility for pension credit.
"So she should join that campaign, but here's the difference - because we've stabilised the economy, we can commit to the triple lock. That means that next April, pensioners get another ￡470."
11 hours ago12:01 Katie Harris
PMQs kicks off
Sir Keir Starmer is on his feet at the despatch box as PMQs gets underway in the House of Commons.
11 hours ago11:43 Katie Harris
Starmer pictured leaving No10
Sir Keir Starmer has left 10 Downing Street to head to Parliament for PMQs.
The Prime Minister exits No10 (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
11 hours ago11:25 Martyn Brown
Martyn Brown previews final session of 2024
What is Kemi Badenoch likely to attack Keir Starmer on when PMQs gets underway in 30 minutes?
PMQs: Martyn Brown previews final session of 2024
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12 hours ago11:00 Katie Harris
Final PMQs before Christmas
Today's Prime Minister's Questions which kicks off in the Commons at midday is the last one before MPs break up for Christmas.
It comes after Tory leader Kemi Badenoch yesterday unveiled a new attack line in a social media clip.
She warned that “every time Labour negotiates, the UK loses" and highlighted the row over the Chagos Islands deal and fears Sir Keir Starmer will unpick Brexit.
Every time Labour negotiates, the UK loses. pic.twitter.com/QIZCL9PUja
\u2014 Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) December 17, 2024
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