Swinney Labels Waspi Pension Decision a ‘Serious Embarrassment’ for Scottish Labour

First Minister John Swinney has asserted that the UK government’s choice to withhold compensation from women impacted by alterations to the state pension age constitutes a “serious embarrassment” for Scottish Labour. The party led by Anas Sarwar indicated its expectation for “some form” of compensation for Waspi women, a designation derived from the campaign group Women Against State Pension Inequality. However, it also stated that the UK Labour administration must prioritize “on fixing the economic mess it inherited”. According to Waspi, 3.6 million women born in the 1950s, a figure that includes hundreds of thousands in Scotland, did not receive adequate notification regarding the increase in the state pension age, which was implemented to align it with that for men. The group characterized the government’s decision as an “insult”. During March, a UK parliamentary ombudsman put forward a recommendation for compensation ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 for women who were disadvantaged by pension age adjustments enacted under prior Conservative governments. Waspi had advocated for a minimum of £10,000 per individual. UK Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall offered an apology for a 28-month delay in dispatching letters that notified individuals of the pension change. Nevertheless, she maintained that no evidence of “direct financial loss” stemmed from the government’s determination. She further stated that the proposed compensation scheme would incur a cost of £10.5bn and would not be “fair or proportionate to taxpayers”. Swinney commented: “People in Scotland were promised change, but yet again this Labour government is making the same mistakes as the former Tory government.” He continued, “But this is not just a shameful episode for the UK government, it is yet another serious embarrassment for the Labour leadership in Scotland.” He posed the question: “The choice for Scottish Labour, is will they do the right thing and stand up for older people in Scotland or will they stand up for the prime minister?” Opposing political figures have highlighted remarks made by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar during his unsuccessful leadership campaign in 2017, in which he pledged that Waspi women would “receive the justice they deserve” should he become the party’s leader. Paul O’Kane, Scottish Labour’s social justice spokesperson, stated: “Many will be disappointed that no compensation is being offered to the thousands of women impacted by the Tory decision to raise their pension age without proper notice.” He added, “Of course the UK government should be focused on fixing the economic mess it inherited, but in recognising this injustice we would hope to have seen a compromise position that would have allowed for some form of compensation for the Waspi women most in need from this long running failure.” The MSP further noted that it was “right that the UK government has recognised the injustice suffered by the Waspi women”. Anne Potter, the co-ordinator for Waspi Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire, expressed that she was “totally shocked” by the recent announcement. She informed BBC Scotland News that members felt “let down” by the Labour government. The campaigner, who had previously engaged with Sir Keir Starmer, asserted that the prime minister had “absolutely done nothing for Waspi women”. Christine Jardine MP, the Liberal Democrat Scottish affairs spokeswoman, commented: “The new government has turned its back on millions of pension-age women who were wronged through no fault of their own, ignoring the independent ombudsman’s recommendations, and that is frankly disgraceful.” Maggie Chapman, the Scottish Green social justice spokeswoman, stated that the UK government should “hang their heads in shame”. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.