Politics LIVE: Starmer faces Waspi fury as leaked messages warn PM's already LOST next election - 'Have we learnt nothing?!'

By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2024-12-20 08:36:00 | Updated at 2024-12-20 13:53:54 5 hours ago

Sir Keir Starmer has been left bracing for more fury over Labour's decision not to offer compension to Waspi women - with leaked messages from his own MPs already show fears about the next General Election.

Earlier this week, Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall revealed Labour would not offer compensation pay-outs for more than three million women born in the 1950s whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal to men.

Labour MPs, including Kendall, Starmer and Angela Rayner, were among those highlighting the "injustice" facing the women while the Tories were in power.

But in the wake of the party's Waspi snub, shock new WhatsApp messages unearthed by The Times have revealed the emotions on show on Labour's back-benches.

Michelle Scrogham MP asked party bigwigs: "You have to wonder, how did we get here? I was elected under a banner of integrity. I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with these women and promised to fight for them, as did many of us. My integrity is worth more than this."

Fellow MP Sarah Champion asked why Labour had announced the snub "when journalists are bored and everyone is spending time with their grannie", while Dawn Butler lamented why the story emerged when the party should have been "focused on positive announcements".

"Have we not learnt from the Winter Fuel Payment announcement?" Champion added.

And in a final blow, more MPs relayed constituents' concerns over the non-payout, with The Times reporting how one said the move had "lost the unprincipled Labour Party the next election".

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY...

Reform UK WIPES OUT Labour in latest by-election - as 'fantastic' Tories take seat

A substantial Labour lead in a council seat has been demolished by a swing to the Conservatives and Reform UK in a fresh by-election.

The Brockmoor and Pensnett seat at Dudley Council had been won with a 63.6 per cent Labour vote share - but in last night's snap vote, the party's lead crumbled.

Labour saw its share slide by 34.7 per cent to just 28.9, while new entrants Reform took home 30.1 per cent of the votes.

But the Tory candidate won out - in what Shadow Housing Secretary Kevin Hollinrake hailed as a "fantastic result".

"Fantastic result for Councillor Alex Dales and the team, following similar successes in Stock (Essex) and Fylde," he said. "Labour in freefall - their candidate was the Deputy Group Leader and had been a councillor for 27 years."

Starmer warns Trump against 'tariff war' as PM picks Brexit-bashing Mandelson for US role

Starmer/Mandelson/Trump

PA/REUTERS

Sir Keir Starmer has warned incoming President Donald Trump against imposing punitive tariffs just hours before New Labour grandee Peter Mandelson was tipped to become the UK's next US Ambassador.

The Prime Minister said: “I am not going to speculate as to what he is going to do. It won’t come as any surprise to you that I am not a fan of tariffs and therefore we have to make sure that we avoid tariffs.

He added: “We have got very good trade with the US as we have got very good trade with other countries around the world.

“I want to improve on that and as you will know I have had a meeting with President Trump in September in New York, I have had a number of phone calls since including one yesterday.”