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Welcome to Thursday’s Early Edition from i.
Nearly 10 years ago, five women banded together to fight against the way changes to the state pension affected those born in the 50s. The Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) group says they were not properly told that their state pension age would increase from the age of 60 to 65, meaning many could not prepare for so many extra years without one. Millions of women are believed to be affected by the changes. But the campaign to get compensation has run so long that hundreds of women affected are now dying each week. Earlier this year the group’s lawyer told i: “It’s been a very drawn-out investigation. Very sadly, it’s pretty certain statistically that other women will die before justice is secured, just because of the demographics of this group of people.” Campaigners say in the past nine years that 269,231 Waspi women have died without seeing proper compensation. Now, the findings of a five-year investigation, by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are due to be revealed. But women have been warned that many of them may miss out on compensation. We’ll take a look at what’s going on, after the headlines.
Today’s news, and why it matters
Jeremy Hunt could cut national insurance by another 2p or more before the next general election after inflation fell faster than expected, i understands. The Chancellor said the drop in inflation to 3.5 per cent made it more probably that he will be able to reduce taxes again – and suggested the Bank of England could cut interest rates too.
Abolishing national insurance would drive up taxes for pensioners, Rachel Reeves has claimed as she doubled down on her attack on the Conservatives’ flagship promise. Ms Reeves told i: “Yet again it’s giving with one hand and taking with the other.”
Laws to push ahead with the Rwanda asylum plan are set to be delayed for another month after the Government suffered a flurry of defeats in the House of the Lords. Peers voted against the Government to add seven amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill, including changes to ensure domestic and international law is acknowledged and setting out extra conditions to protect asylum seekers.
The UK Government has secretly softened its policy against Chinese businesses implicated in human rights abuses, i can reveal. An internal Whitehall assessment advised ministers that the Government would be pausing any consideration of sanctions against Chinese firms “indefinitely”, according to internal Cabinet documents seen by i.
Britain’s food supply chain faces being thrown into chaos within weeks by problems with new post-Brexit border controls. Food and drink industry sources have warned the cost of the checks could fuel food inflation and border delays may lead to perishable foods being spoiled even before reaching the shelves.
The hospital where staff allegedly attempted to access the Princess of Wales’ private medical records has vowed that “all appropriate investigatory steps” will be taken. ITV News reported that three members of staff tried to access Kate’s medical notes while she was a patient at the London Clinic in January while undergoing abdominal surgery, and are now facing disciplinary action.
Three questions on the Waspi campaign:
What have campaigners been asking for? The Waspi group say they want at least £10,000 for all 3.6 million women who expected to get their pension at 60, but had to wait another five or six years. They are also demanding higher sums for the worst affected individuals. The background is this: Under the 1995 Pensions Act the retirement age for women was due to be brought in line with men’s and were originally meant to be phased in over a 10-year period between 2010 and 2020. The Pensions Act 2011 sped this timetable and increased the pension age for women even further. Campaigners say there was “little or no notice to re-plan for our retirement.” Read more here.
How badly have people been affected? Hundreds of women have shared stories about how the changes adversely impacted them. One recently told i she had to keep working while her husband was dying. “The worst thing of all was the time that I was robbed of. If I’d been able to retire at 60, Ian and I would have had time to spend together. We were both 63 when he died and I was still working,” Elizabeth Daly told i. “On the day that he died, I had gone in for a morning shift so I could see him in the afternoon. By the time I got there he was in a coma and I didn’t get to speak to him again. There’s no amount of compensation that can make that up.” Another, Carole Wyatt, was forced out of work due to severe ill health, when breast cancer spread. She suffered sepsis following an operation – her lung collapsed, followed by a heart attack. In the middle of it all, her mother died. At the time, she knew her 60th birthday was approaching which would allow her to claim a state pension. “I hated the reality of not being able to work anymore, but I thought, ‘Don’t panic, you will get your pension in a few months, it will all be okay,’” she said. “I had no income, wasn’t eligible to get benefits and my health was too poor for me to work.” Read more stories, here.
What is today’s report expected to suggest? The investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman looked into alleged failures at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over the way pension changes were communicated. It could recommend that Rishi Sunak’s Government set up a compensation scheme. The full details will be set out in Parliament this morning. However experts told i they expected the ombudsman to recommend a “highly targeted” compensation scheme focused only on those who can demonstrate they lost out financially – in some cases by giving up jobs and retiring early – as a result of a failure by the DWP to inform them of pension age changes. Baroness Altmann, the former Conservative pensions minister, said: “I would not be hopeful of huge payouts I’m afraid,” she added. “A scheme for those who can demonstrate they were the victim of failures by government administration and are facing hardship might be a possibility, but this would not satisfy most of the Wapsi women, I suspect.” Read that story here. One Waspi campaigner told i she estimates that the five years without the state pension she had been expecting cost her around £42,000. Angela Madden, chair of the Waspi group, urged both the Tories and Labour to agree on the set-up of a compensation scheme before the general election. “It will be a huge political football,” she said. “All parties should know there are 3.6 million women for whom it will be a major reason to vote this year. The politicians must put the money where their mouth is and commit to compensation.” Read the full story, here.
Around the world
As the US heads towards a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in November’s election, the former president’s cheerleaders in the UK claim his return could be good for Britain. Jennifer Ewing, a North Californian living in west London and one of an estimated 196,000 American expats in the UK, noted that Mr Trump “has always been a bit of an Anglophile”.
Ukrainian forces are racing to strengthen defences across the front line ahead of an anticipated Russian offensive, as Kyiv faces criticism for moving too slowly. Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that construction was progressing well as images emerged of troops digging trenches and installing fortifications.
The release of official photos showing Emmanuel Macron hitting a punching bag have been met with a mixture of praise and consternation in France. The photos of the French president appear in moody black and white, and show the president with teeth gritted and biceps bulging as he works out.
An Australian art museum is being sued over a women’s-only exhibit. New South Wales resident Jason Lau has complained that the museum in Tasmania, known as Mona, is engaging in illegal discrimination. This week, the accusation culminated in a high-stakes court hearing – rife with drama and theatrics.
Watch out for…
the Bank of England, which makes its interest rate decision today.
Thoughts for the day
A Katespiracy too far. Things have taken a more serious turn as it is alleged that at least one staff member at the London Clinic has tried to access the patient’s medical records, says Lucy Mangan.
The Queen fooled Donald Trump – and he still hasn’t realised. Despite the GB News interview being badly done, though, it is still somewhat telling about Trump, explains James Ball.
Britain welcomed us as lost children. The Rwanda bill could destroy that country. If the bill is not changed, unaccompanied children could be sent to Rwanda, devastating their wellbeing. No civilised society should accept this, write the Bishop of Chelmsford and Lord Dubs.
Culture Break
Portraits to Dream In is more than token feminism – it’s heaven. A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery combines the work of Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron, two photographers separated by a century – the results are otherworldly.
The Big Read
I’ve gone part-time because the UK’s paternity leave is so bad . Sacrificing 40 per cent of his salary is not something Richard James had anticipated when he and his wife decided to have children – but it’s the best career move he’s ever made.
Sport
Owen Farrell opens up on Saracens and England exit – but leaves some grey areas. The former England captain has left the door open for an international return, and admitted he could not ignore the social media abuse, writes Hugh Godwin.
Something to brighten your day
At 40, I quit caffeine – it made me calmer and happier. Withdrawal symptoms were awful, but they also taught me a serious lesson about the effects caffeine can have on your body, writes Rosie Taylor.
