THE SNP’s Westminster leader has challenged the Prime Minister to end pension injustice for hundreds of women in Scotland.
Ian Blackford is urging Boris Johnson to “prove he’s serious about gender equality” by helping the Waspi women.
Speaking ahead of a visit to Shetland to support SNP by-election candidate Tom Wills, Blackford said the women were “guilty of nothing”, and that the party would “continue to fight for justice for all women affected by the scandal”.
The Waspi campaign supports those hit by the UK Government’s decision to accelerate changes to their state pension age, with estimates of 3000 women across the Northern Isles affected.
The SNP has called for transitional measures to mitigate the issue, saying that independent research shows the cost at £8 billion, rather than the UK Government’s £30bn figure.
Blackford said: “This issue has run on far too long – it’s time for the Tories to get their heads out the sand and put an end to this serious injustice.
“Waspi women are guilty of nothing – they’ve had the misfortune of being female, born in the 1950s and live under a reckless UK government who refuse to do what’s right.
“A state pension isn’t a privilege – it’s a right for these hardworking women. I’d encourage anyone who has been affected directly or knows someone who has, to come along on Tuesday evening and find out what’s really going on at Westminster.
“Alongside my SNP colleagues in Westminster and Holyrood, I’ll continue to fight for justice for women affected by the scandal.
“The coalition government got us into this mess, but if Boris Johnson is serious about gender equality, he has the tools to put things right.”
The SNP MP will hold an open public meeting at the Shetland Museum, Lerwick, on Tuesday at 7pm to discuss the Waspi campaign, and has urged residents to come along.
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