A Scottish Labour MP has urged his party colleagues to back an SNP bill to give the Waspi women compensation.
Brian Leishman has called for Labour MPs to “do the right thing” and vote to compensate women born in the 1950s affected by the changes to state pension age.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn will introduce his Women’s State Pension age (Ombudsman report and compensation scheme) Bill to the House of Commons on Tuesday. The Nationalists intend to force a vote.
Alloa and Grangemouth MP Leishman said: “I urge all Labour colleagues across the entire PLP to do the right thing by Waspi women and vote for them to receive compensation and to get what’s rightfully theirs. The fact is that Waspi women are the victims of injustice.
“Many of us have campaigned alongside these women when we were in opposition and solidarity is never transactional, it’s not something that is used to appeal to a group or a cause and then forgotten about. We should do the right thing and deliver for Waspi women now we are in government.”
Leishman had previously told the Record he would vote for Waspi compensation if it came to a vote. Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock MP Elaine Stewart has also said she would vote to help Waspi women, while Kilmarnock and Loudon MP Lillian Jones criticised the UK Government for its stance earlier this month.
The 10-minute rule process allows Flynn up to 10 minutes to make a speech on why he wants to introduce his private member’s billand an MP wishing to oppose it can also make a 10-minute speech. The House will then decide whether or not the bill should be introduced and receive a first reading, which involves having its title being read out and an order for the Bill to be printed.
The SNP have said they will force a vote, which could include supporters of the motion also shouting no to trigger a formal division.
Flynn’s proposed Bill would require ministers to publish measures to address the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) report, which recommended the UK Government pay compensation to women born in the 1950s whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal with men.
The watchdog said the women should be paid up to £2,950 each, a package with a potential total cost of £10.5 billion to the public purse, as poor communication meant they had lost out on the change to plan their retirement finances.
But the Government last month ruled out a compensation package. This was despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves being among the senior ministers to support the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign when Labour was in opposition.
The SNP has called for Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to whip the party’s MPs to vote for the bill.
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