WASPI women stung by ban

by DOUGLAS SHEPHERD

Thousands of women in the Scottish Borders who were "cheated" out of their state pension by the UK Government's changes to retirement age have no-one to represent them after their MP refused to engage with their campaign, it has been claimed.

Activists in the Scottish Borders WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) branch were also banned from attending a pensions advice fair in Kelso this week, an event organised and promoted by local Tory MP John Lamont. Some of the women affected by the 'cruel' changes say the ban was imposed on them because he considers their movement to be too political.

The MP has told constituents who raised the issue with him that they should ask the Scottish Government to make good their political losses even though the issue is not devolved to Holyrood.

The Borders WASPI women had originally wanted to set up a stall at Mr Lamont's pensions fair but were told the venue was fully booked. Instead they 'picketed' the event at Kelso's Tait Hall yesterday (Thursday).

Now social media is awash with comments - almost entirely negative ones - aimed at Mr Lamont for allegedly failing to represent over 7,000 of his constituents.

Clair Ramage, a Scottish Borders councillor, and one of the prime movers in the Borders WASPI's efforts to secure justice, wrote on Facebook: "MP John Lamont would not allow WASPI ladies into his “Pensioners Fair” today in Kelso nor would he come out to speak to us. That is over 7000 women in his constituency that he is refusing to engage with. All we wanted to do was advise ladies, born in the 50s, how to write letters of complaint to the Department of Work and Pensions. So we were left outside to get our message across." 

Not Just Sheep & Rugby collated other comments which followed Mr Lamont's ban on the women. Here is a selection:

Audrey Graham - Well done everyone, I hope you're forwarding that on to the press. It's total discrimination to not let the women in or hear their views.

Elizabeth Thewlis Well there’s a clear example how this Tory MP omits working for all the constituents of the area. To not meet - in fact to refuse to meet is a dereliction of duty.

Johnny Rudkin what a waste of time John Lamont is holding a pensioners fair and not letting in pensioners, Hope all the people that voted for [him] are ashamed of themselves. John Lamont couldn't care less for the seven thousand women that are left without a fair pension.

Derek H Campbell Should be front page news in the Southern [Reporter].  It won’t be though.

Ewan Mutch As a man who claimed he was hosting it it's very unusual he didn't grab his usual photo opportunity as "Host" to promote himself.

Margaret Paterson I really hope that the WASPI women's organiser contacts the Berwickshire News and the Southern Reporter ,John Lamont is not a fit person to be an MP and a vote of No Confidence should be lodged against him .Just shows how unfit he is as an MP that he doesn't want to help these ladies.

Maureen Anton The WASPI women asked to be included but John Lamont told them it was too political! He had 2 banners outside Tait Hall Kelso, LAMONT House Of Commons. Is that not political???

Beth Barclay Why anyone votes for this rude, arrogant man is beyond me. Together with two other WASPI ladies I visited him at our local “surgery” and he was very rude to us. We were all women in our sixties who have worked for most of our lives and he reduced one of them to tears with his attitude. Unbelievably, he tried to blame the Scottish Government and said that it was up to them to provide extra monies etc.  After all the support that Iain Blackford and Mhairi Black have given us... I don’t think so, John!

There was comment too from Calum Kerr, the former SNP MP for the constituency, defeated by Mr Lamont at the 2017 General Election.

Mr Kerr said: "Well done everyone for being there to highlight this injustice. It's an absolute disgrace, and the refusal to allow entry or to support the WASPI campaign tells you all you need to know about the Tory attitude towards pensioners.  Yeah so annoying when they do that, picking the bit they like. It's why some politicians just repeat the same thing over and over in slightly different ways. Not something I was great at, as I always tried to answer questions..."