KEIR Starmer mocked the SNP as he was branded a "one trick phoney" after "betraying" Waspi women.
Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told the Commons on Tuesday that the Labour Government will not pay Waspi women compensation arguing that the proposed payment scheme was not “fair or value for taxpayers’ money”.
The 1995 Pensions Act and subsequent legislation raised the state pension age for women born on or after April 6 1950.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) investigated complaints that, since 1995, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information about areas of state pension reform.
It recommended compensation at a level of between £1000 and £2950 per person, as well as saying the DWP should acknowledge its failings and apologise.
But the Labour Government has received severe criticism after announcing it would not follow that recommendation, especially as many leading party figures had previously pledged to support Waspi women in their campaign.
Starmer was attacked from all corners of the Chamber over the matter at the last Prime Minister's Questions of 2024.
SNP MP Dave Doogan blasted him over the decision in a passionate speech, calling him a "one trick phoney" who "says one thing and does another".
He said: "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 empowered he’s stripped it off our pensioners.
"He lined up for many photos for Waspi women, 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."
As noise levels rose in the Commons, Doogan bellowed over MPs: "Does he understand why the people of these islands, especially those of us in Scotland, treat him with such contempt?"
Starmer used his response to mock the SNP's poor election result, and even joked he could "hardly hear" Doogan.
"They used to ask those questions from this sort of area [LibDem seating] with very many MPs not so long ago. That all changed in July," said the Prime Minister.
"He’s now carping from right up there. We can hardly hear him."
Doogan was not the only MP to go hard at Starmer for the Labour Government's latest U-turn, as Labour MP Diane Abbott also questioned whether he really understood the impact of his decision.
"Waspi women fought one of the most sustained and passionate campaigns for justice that I can remember," she said.
"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?"
Starmer said he "of course" understood the concern but argued the taxpayer "simply can't afford the burden".
Plaid Cymru MP Ben Lake pressed Starmer too on the matter, highlighting how Labour had previously supported calls for compensation.
He said: "In 2022, the prime minister supported calls for fair and fast compensation for 1950s women impacted by changes to the state pension. And yet, just yesterday, his government rejected those same calls out of hand."
Elsewhere, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of "playing politics" with Waspi women.
She said: "The Deputy Prime Minister said Conservatives were stealing their pensions. She promised to compensate them in full, another broken promise."
