Women affected by pension inequality deserve justice
by John Swinney has warned that the Westminster parties stand on the brink of a bitter betrayal of WASPI women, after meeting WASPI campaigners on a campaign visit to Glasgow.
The injustice faced by the WASPI women – Women Against State Pension Inequality – is a telling demonstration of how Westminster treats the victims of its scandals.
After years of campaigning, a damning report earlier this year by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman set out clear recommendations on the need for a full, fair and fast compensation scheme for the WASPI women.
The Westminster Tory government has failed to implement those recommendations, but Labour has also let them backtracked. Keir Starmer’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves admitted that her party ‘have not set out any money’ for compensation:
- WASPI women accuse Labour of betrayal as Reeves admits no cash planned for them – The i, 6 June 2024
- WASPI women hit by changes to the state pension age say Labour has turned its back on them – Daily Mail, 7 June 2024
- Reeves: No tax relief changes, no cash for WASPI – Daily Business, 4 June 2024
Even the Labour-supporting Daily Mirror has queried Keir Starmer’s duplicity on the issue and warned him of acting ‘Boris-esque’.
This last-minute u-turn by Keir Starmer’s Labour is indefensible considering the promises they made to WASPI women over several years:
- What 12 shadow ministers said about WASPI compensation, and what they say now – The i, 22 March 2024
And in Scotland, Labour was just as emphatic:
- Scottish Labour on X: Labour will right the historical wrong of pension discrimination by compensating more than 300,000 women in Scotland with an average of £15,000. When Labour wins, Scotland’s women win. #WASPI
- Anas Sarwar on X: Under my leadership, WASPI women will finally receive the justice they deserve.
In contrast John Swinney reaffirmed the SNP’s principled position and concrete commitment in support of full, fair and fast compensation for WASPI women.
It has now become clear that the Westminster parties stand on the brink of a bitter betrayal of the WASPI women.
With Westminster power in sight, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour are signalling they will repeat the exact same betrayal as the Tories.
📸 @JohnSwinney has met with some of the amazing WASPI women today in Glasgow!
The SNP stands firmly with the WASPI Women in their campaign for justice for all women born in the 1950s affected by the unfair changes to the State Pension Age. pic.twitter.com/tGMhY8wZpI
— The SNP (@theSNP) June 7, 2024
With ministerial desks in Downing Street within their grasp, Labour has deliberately decided these wronged women don’t matter to them anymore.
WASPI women deserve so much better. They deserve full, fair and fast compensation.
The SNP will keep to our principled position and concrete commitment in support of the WASPI women until they receive justice.
On the 4th of July, vote SNP to deliver justice for the WASPI women and for a future made in Scotland, for Scotland.