CARDENDEN and Kinglassie MP, Peter Grant, has condemned the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer for “slamming the door shut” on women who are campaigning to have their full pension rights restored.

During the 2019 Spring Statement, Philip Hammond MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that he believed the issue surrounding the WASPI campaign to be ‘settled’ and that he has ‘no further announcements to make’ in regard to the campaign.

Peter Grant has described it as a ‘slap in the face’ to those affected, and has accused the Chancellor of failing to give fairness to these women and potentially pushing many into poverty.

The Waspi cause has been geared to try and promote the case of Women Against State Pension Inequality. It has campaigned against the way in which the state pension age for men and women has been equalised. They have called for the millions of women affected by the change to receive compensation.

A number of women in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area have been affected by the way this has been worked out.

Commenting, Peter Grant said: “This is an utter disgrace from the Chancellor and it does nothing but blatantly ignore the hard work and campaigning from millions of women across the country.

"I know of women in my constituency who never received the letter from the UK Government to tell them of these changes, but that has fallen on deaf ears and the Tory Government is doing as it does best and ploughs on regardless.

“It is a disgraceful way for any Government to treat its own people, and I – along with my colleagues in the SNP – will continue to fight for the rights of WASPI women.”