Notes From Plague Island
Notes From Plague Island
(Audio) Starmer's WASPI Betrayal: Labour's Shameful Abandonment of Working-Class Women
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(Audio) Starmer's WASPI Betrayal: Labour's Shameful Abandonment of Working-Class Women

Remember he's on his big fat DPP pension. What does he know about ageing women?’ These scathing words from veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott lay bare the utter disconnect between Labour's leadership and the plight of millions of women they've so callously abandoned. Abbott further stated, ‘This isn’t about economics; it’s about respect and doing the right thing. Starmer’s refusal to act is patronising and reeks of elitism, as if he thinks these women are too naive to understand their own struggle.’(Abbott, 2024). Such statements highlight the depth of frustration with Starmer’s dismissive attitude toward a critical issue.

The WASPI campaign represents approximately 3.8 million women born in the 1950s, victims of a cruel bait-and-switch by successive governments that robbed them of years of pension payments. These women weren't merely affected by changes to the state pension age; they were blindsided, their financial futures shattered by government incompetence and indifference (WASPI, 2023).

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Notes From Plague Island
Notes From Plague Island
Welcome to Notes From Plague Island, the podcast companion to our blog exploring the tangled intersections of politics, culture, and history from the UK and beyond. From the aftershocks of Brexit to the rise of populism, from the erosion of democracy to the cultural moments shaping our world, we bring sharp analysis and fresh perspectives rooted in critical theory and lived experience.
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