ANAS Sarwar has been condemned after the UK Government announced they will not pay any compensation to Waspi women.
Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) have long advocated for support for women who were born in the 1950s and say they did not get adequate warnings about changes to the state pension.
But, today (December 17), Liz Kendall told MPs that they will not be receiving compensation as it wouldn’t be “fair or value for money”.
Speaking after the announcement, Scottish Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said Labour MPs as well as MSPs should “hang their heads in shame”.
It comes as Scottish Labour politicians have regularly been pictured with campaigners from Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) for years.
For example, deputy leader Jackie Baillie was stood with activists in West Dunbartonshire earlier this year.
Meanwhile, last year, Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar joined women at Paisley's Sma Shot Parade, walking behind their WASPI banner.
The Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire WASPI group thanked him for his support for their campaign, which at the time specifically called for recommendations of compensation for the women affected.
That support, however, was watered down this year as Sarwar and his Labour MSPs abstained on an SNP vote in Holyrood calling on the UK Government to provide compensation – and reportedly at the behest of the UK party.
SNP MP Kirsty Blackman, speaking after the announcement today, hit out at Sarwar’s past comments in 2017, where he promised: “Under my leadership, Waspi women will finally receive the justice they deserve.”
She said in the House of Commons: “Is the justice they deserve being paid less than their male counterparts throughout their career. Is the justice they deserve being sacked or forced to resign from their jobs when they had children. Is the justice they deserve the removal of the WInter Fuel Payment?”
Blackman then added: “Why are the Labour Government absolutely determined to take every opportunity to screw over 1950s-born woman?”
Scottish Labour social security spokesperson Paul O’Kane, meanwhile, said: “I welcome that a UK Labour government has guaranteed the triple lock that will see the new state pension increase for millions of pensioners by £470 next year and around £1,900 over the course of this parliament despite the economic mess they inherited from the Tories.
“It is right that the U.K. Government has recognised the injustice suffered by the WASPI women.
“However, 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.”
