THE Labour government could face a parliamentary showdown on its Waspi “betrayal” as opposition parties rally to force a vote.

Despite a high-profile campaign which won full backing from Labour under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and support from a host of future cabinet ministers since — including Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and the Prime Minister himself —  Ms Kendall on Tuesday ruled out any compensation for women born in the 1950s who had lost out as pension ages were raised to that of men in a process that began in 1995. 

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Rebecca Hilsenrath, who judged in March that errors had been made and recommended a £10.5 billion government compensation package, told Times radio she “didn’t expect” a public body to admit it “got it wrong but then refuse to make it right for those affected.”

Unions swiftly added their voices to the chorus of disapproval, with  Unison’s Josie Irwin branding it a “cruel blow to a generation of women.”

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “This betrayal is devastating news for many of our retired women members who had hoped a Labour government, having supported these women when in opposition, would have honoured the ombudsman's recommendation.”

SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, who hopes to force an opposition day parliamentary vote on the matter, said: “Not content with robbing pensioners of their winter fuel payment or maintaining the two-child cap, the Labour government has now shamefully betrayed Waspi women — the same Labour Party who laughably told us that they wanted to restore trust in politics.

“We are not prepared to give up the fight now — I call on other party leaders in Westminster to join me in those efforts by forcing the Labour Party into the voting lobbies.”

At yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir Starmer rebuffed independent MP Ian Byrne’s calls for a vote on the decision as he faced a barrage of criticism from opposition and government benches.

Socialist MP Diane Abbott asked: “We did promise them that we would give them justice; I understand the issue about the cost but does the Prime Minister really understand how let down Waspi women feel today?”

The Prime Minister said he did “understand the concern,” but added: “The taxpayer simply cannot afford the burden of tens of millions of pounds of compensation.”