Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer is grilled by senior MPs on the liaison committee on Thursday, 19 December — the first time since he was elected in July.
It comes as the prime minister faces backlash as he is accused of breaking a promise in a decision not to compensate Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women.
Sir Keir faces a growing Labour rebellion over the issue, with up to 50 Labour MPs saying they would vote against the government’s decision to rule out spending £10bn compensating the women if a vote is held, The Independent understands.
The term “Waspi” refers to a woman born between 1950 and 1960 who was disadvantaged by the 1995 Pensions Act, which increased their pensionable age from 60 to 65.
The group was established in 2015 to campaign for compensation over the Act.
Labour has said there are no plans for a vote on the issue.
Mother of the House Diane Abbott has accused the government of breaking a previous promise to compensate the Waspi women.
Speaking on Newsnight on Wednesday (18 December), Ms Abbott said: “Remember he’s on his big fat DPP pension. What does he know about ageing women?”