THREE Scottish Labour MPs on Tuesday launched a campaign to ‘Keep Our British Pensions’.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Labour pensions spokesman Gregg McClymont, and Lindsay Roy, told a special event at Lochgelly Town Hall that they had evidence that the vast majority of 930,000 elderly Scots wanted their pensions paid from UK taxes.

And in speeches delivered to a first-of-its-kind pensioners’ referendum forum in Lochgelly, the three went out to show that pensions, alongside jobs and the economy, is one of the most critical issues in the 18th September vote.

MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Gordon Brown, said, “Our campaign shows that the sharing of pension risks across the United Kingdom is worth £200 million extra each year to meet the greater needs of Scotland’s pensioners.

“We have polling evidence that only 15 per cent of pensioners favour independence and indeed 61 per cent of ALL Scottish people believe that pensioners north of the border should be paid from UK and not Scottish taxes.” The forum, which was also be addressed by Labour pensions spokesman, Gregg McClymont and Glenrothes and Central Fife MP Lindsay Roy MP, made a number of key demands.

Gordon Brown added, “We must keep the common UK National Insurance fund that we have contributed to and paid in to all of our working lives. We have accrued rights to our pension from successive UK Governments.

“These have to be honoured and continue to be honoured by the UK.

“It is bizarre that we would put Scottish pensions at risk at a time when pension spending in Scotland is rising faster than in the rest of the UK.

“The number of over 60s in Scotland will grow from the current 22 per cent of the population to 32 per cent by the year 2035.

“The SNP cannot deny we face a higher bill in an independent Scotland when we lose the pooling and sharing that happens across the UK. It’s why they set up a working party on the “affordability” of pensions. Under a Labour Government Scots’ pensioner poverty fell from 33 per cent in 1997 to 11 per cent by 2010.” Mr McClymont also had fears over occupational pension schemes. He said, “Because of EU rules Scottish pension contributions for those schemes may have to rise or benefits may be lower. It could be both.

“One fact is indisputable. The costs of meeting the needs of Scottish pensioners will be higher in years to come. “There is absolutely no doubt we are better off spreading the risks as part of the Union.” But in midweek SNP councillor Douglas Chapman stated Gordon Brown’s 'scaremongering on pensions' was lacking in all credibility, with the former Chancellor and Prime Minister having done more than anyone to destroy the value of people’s pensions, he claimed.

He said that as Chancellor, Gordon Brown abolished Advanced Corporation Tax (ACT) relief, which is estimated to have cost pension schemes at least £100 billion within a decade, and in 1999 chose to increase the state pension by just 75 pence.

A recent publication by the National Institute of Economic Research, said Mr Chapman, showed that Scotland is disadvantaged by having the same retirement age as the rest of the UK, and pensions in Scotland would be six to eight per cent cheaper than the rest of the UK. The paper also demonstrated that under current UK schemes, there will be a transfer from Scotland to the rest of the UK of almost £50 million per year by 2020.

Meanwhile, opinion polling has consistently shown that people in Scotland want decisions on pensions and welfare to be made in Scotland – with the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey showing that 63% of people want either ‘devo-max’ - that would see only defence and foreign affairs remain in Westminster control – or independence.

Councillor Chapman, out campaigning for a YES vote in Rosyth, said, “I am surprised that it’s Gordon Brown leading on pensions for the “No You Can’t” campaign against Scottish independence. The last person we should be taking lessons from when it comes to pensions is Gordon Brown – the man who destroyed final-salary pension schemes with his £100 billion raid, and decided to pay a miserly 75p increase in the state pension to Scottish pensioners. Who could forget that !

"Mr Brown's track record means that he lacks all credibility on pensions and should save his intemperate comments for another day.

"The Scottish Government has set out clearly and unambiguously that people will continue to receive the pension entitlements they have built up – and any attempt to insinuate otherwise is grossly irresponsible.

"Social protection costs represent a lower share of tax revenues in Scotland than for the UK as a whole - meaning pensions are more affordable for Scotland - and academic surveys and polls consistently show that people want decisions on pensions and welfare to be made in the Scottish Parliament rather than by Westminster".

He concluded, "Scotland is better placed to afford our pensions and welfare than the UK – which is why Scotland’s Future set out our plans to maintain the triple-lock, and set up an independent commission to look at the appropriate retirement age for people in Scotland.

"Where Westminster has decimated pension schemes and is rushing ahead an accelerated timetable that will see the retirement age rise rapidly, a Yes vote in September will ensure we have a pensions system that is right for Scotland.”