Only independence can now secure justice for WASPI women

ALBA Party have condemned a “betrayal” of WASPI women by the Labour Party and stated that justice for WASPI Women can now only be secured with Scottish independence.

Neither the Conservatives nor the Labour Party would commit to compensating WASPI women on Sunday morning – despite the publication of a scathing report that called on the Government to pay billions in compensation to those affected women who were not told about the state pension rise

Both the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds declined to say if they would compensate those who were found by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to have lost out financially after the Department of Work and Pensions failed to adequately communicate changes to the state pension age.

In 2019, Labour Party Chair and Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities Anneliese Dodds said WASPI women should be compensated, but she says circumstances have changed. When pressed on Sunday by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on whether she still believes, in principle that those women should be compensated, Dodds refused to commit the Labour Party to compensating them.

The comments have enraged Alba Party who have been calling for compensation for the women involved.

ALBA’s Westminster leader Neale Hanvey MP says it is now clear that regardless of whether there is a Labour Government or a Conservative Government after the next General Election both are set to fail to deliver justice for WASPI women.

Hanvey says that now only with the powers of independence can WASPI women be compensated in Scotland.

Commenting ALBA Party Westminster Leader Neale Hanvey MP said:

“WASPI women have been let down badly by this Tory UK Government, and now they are being betrayed by the Labour Party. This is a matter of pension justice with the women affected by the change in the pension age entitled to appropriate compensation.

“This is a historic wrong that must be righted. It is now clear that pension justice for the WASPI women can only be delivered with Independence.”