ARRAN BRANCH OF WASPI MEETING

As Arran's MP, I was delighted to once again address the Cunninghame WASPI branch on the Isle of Arran yesterday. It was great to catch up with these women who are fighting a dignified and very well organised campaign against the gross injustice that has been inflicted on them by the UK government, which has raised their state pension age with little or no notice,and subsequently has refused to engage with these women. This injustice must be seen in the context of the change in the eligibility for Pension Credit which came into effect in May, a change sneaked out under cover of the Brexit chaos, and the decision to means-test eligibility for free TV licences for the over 75s and to then try to blame the British Broadcasting Corporation for this, despite the fact that benefits are a matter for the Department of Work & Pensions. These attacks on our older people must end. The WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign will continue until these women are paid the state pensions that are rightfully theirs. They have worked hard to keep this issue firmly on a crowded political agenda and I and my Scottish National Party (SNP) MP colleagues will continue to support them in their quest for state pension justice.