Chamber and committees

I recently met MPC Energy, a business in Clydebank, to discuss the impact of Labour’s short-sighted plans on its business. MPC has more than 10 years’ experience and has helped hundreds of people on low incomes make their homes energy efficient, but, as a result of Labour’s plans, it now faces uncertainty. Is the cabinet secretary willing to hear more about its work and consider what more can be done to ensure that my constituents and others across Scotland can continue to have access to warm and energy-efficient homes?

I am grateful to my colleague Bill Kidd for bringing this important debate to the chamber.

The Labour UK Government’s decision not to compensate the WASPI women is as appalling as it is hypocritical. Prior to being in government, Labour politicians stood beside those women for every photo op and called for compensation, only to desert them once in power. With an election on the horizon, some are arguing that they are still on the side of WASPI women, but the WASPI women are not daft and will not be fooled this time. They know that warm words will not pay the bills.

The decision denies as many as 3.6 million women the rightful compensation that they deserve. In my constituency, 4,700 women in East Dunbartonshire and more than 6,000 in West Dunbartonshire have been affected by changes to the state pension age. Behind those figures are real women with deep and complex lives—women who have worked tirelessly, who, during their working life, were paid less than men, did not have maternity rights and might have had smaller private pensions, and who often took on most of the caring responsibilities for the family. Due to Government failings, those women find themselves facing financial uncertainty at a time when they should be able to enjoy the next stage of their life.

Since 2015, 405,770 WASPI women have died. That figure should haunt those on the Labour and Tory benches—nearly half a million women have died without even getting the rightful compensation that they deserved. That is truly shameful and a real injustice.

It is beyond doubt that the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen was clear that these women should be compensated, but the Labour Government has ignored that decision. It is a historic injustice. The DWP’s own research showed that it failed to get the message across and chose to do absolutely nothing about it.

The Labour Government has said that compensation would not be a fair use of money, but the WASPI women said it best, stating recently:

“If your MP said, ‘paying compensation wouldn’t be fair or proportionate’, neither was it fair not to give adequate warning to the women affected.”

In the name of equality, the process has once again left women facing inequality. Alongside my SNP colleagues, I have stood beside these women for years, and I was pleased to see them—including one of my constituents—in the Parliament the other week to reiterate my support. The women were promised, in good faith, that a Labour UK Government would right that wrong, but we have instead seen U-turn after U-turn from the Labour Government. Make no mistake—the Labour Party, the Tories and Reform are no friends of the WASPI women. Only the SNP has been consistent in its support for the WASPI women, and I will continue to speak up about the issue.

For years, these women have remained resolute in their beliefs and have never given up, and I know that they will not give up now. However, time is, unfortunately, not on their side. They are understandably tired. They are tired of false promises, tired of U-turns, tired of being ignored, tired of being treated with contempt and tired of being told that they are wrong—but they are not wrong. They deserve fair and fast compensation now. That is a fact.

No more delays. No more lies. I stand here today with my SNP colleagues to urge the Labour UK Government to rethink this awful decision. Labour must reverse this shameful decision now. It is time for the WASPI women to be treated with the respect that they deserve. That is a moral duty.

17:21

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on Scotland of the United Kingdom Government’s warm homes plan. (S6O-05535)

I am grateful to my colleague Bill Kidd for bringing this important debate to the chamber.

The Labour UK Government’s decision not to compensate the WASPI women is as appalling as it is hypocritical. Prior to being in government, Labour politicians stood beside those women for every photo op and called for compensation, only to desert them once in power. With an election on the horizon, some are arguing that they are still on the side of WASPI women, but the WASPI women are not daft and will not be fooled this time. They know that warm words will not pay the bills.

The decision denies as many as 3.6 million women the rightful compensation that they deserve. In my constituency, 4,700 women in East Dunbartonshire and more than 6,000 in West Dunbartonshire have been affected by changes to the state pension age. Behind those figures are real women with deep and complex lives—women who have worked tirelessly, who, during their working life, were paid less than men, did not have maternity rights and might have had smaller private pensions, and who often took on most of the caring responsibilities for the family. Due to Government failings, those women find themselves facing financial uncertainty at a time when they should be able to enjoy the next stage of their life.

Since 2015, 405,770 WASPI women have died. That figure should haunt those on the Labour and Tory benches—nearly half a million women have died without even getting the rightful compensation that they deserved. That is truly shameful and a real injustice.

It is beyond doubt that the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen was clear that these women should be compensated, but the Labour Government has ignored that decision. It is a historic injustice. The DWP’s own research showed that it failed to get the message across and chose to do absolutely nothing about it.

The Labour Government has said that compensation would not be a fair use of money, but the WASPI women said it best, stating recently:

“If your MP said, ‘paying compensation wouldn’t be fair or proportionate’, neither was it fair not to give adequate warning to the women affected.”

In the name of equality, the process has once again left women facing inequality. Alongside my SNP colleagues, I have stood beside these women for years, and I was pleased to see them—including one of my constituents—in the Parliament the other week to reiterate my support. The women were promised, in good faith, that a Labour UK Government would right that wrong, but we have instead seen U-turn after U-turn from the Labour Government. Make no mistake—the Labour Party, the Tories and Reform are no friends of the WASPI women. Only the SNP has been consistent in its support for the WASPI women, and I will continue to speak up about the issue.

For years, these women have remained resolute in their beliefs and have never given up, and I know that they will not give up now. However, time is, unfortunately, not on their side. They are understandably tired. They are tired of false promises, tired of U-turns, tired of being ignored, tired of being treated with contempt and tired of being told that they are wrong—but they are not wrong. They deserve fair and fast compensation now. That is a fact.

No more delays. No more lies. I stand here today with my SNP colleagues to urge the Labour UK Government to rethink this awful decision. Labour must reverse this shameful decision now. It is time for the WASPI women to be treated with the respect that they deserve. That is a moral duty.

17:21

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on Scotland of the United Kingdom Government’s warm homes plan. (S6O-05535)

I recently met MPC Energy, a business in Clydebank, to discuss the impact of Labour’s short-sighted plans on its business. MPC has more than 10 years’ experience and has helped hundreds of people on low incomes make their homes energy efficient, but, as a result of Labour’s plans, it now faces uncertainty. Is the cabinet secretary willing to hear more about its work and consider what more can be done to ensure that my constituents and others across Scotland can continue to have access to warm and energy-efficient homes?

The Titan crane is a beacon of the industrial heritage of Clydebank and shipbuilding on the Clyde. It survived two world wars, including the Clydebank blitz. In 2007, after maintenance work and the creation of a visitor centre, the crane was opened to the public. It is a memory of our industrial past—one that helped make Clydebank world renowned and the backbone of Scotland’s shipbuilding industry. Unfortunately, the Labour council failed to maintain the crane, and it now remains closed to the public and left to rust.

Will the First Minister join me on a visit to the Titan crane to see for himself its significance and potential, and will he commit to the Scottish Government doing everything possible, with others, to ensure that it reopens and makes a massive contribution to the tourism industry in Scotland?

I welcome the Scottish Government’s first annual joint meeting between the Cabinet and disabled people, which took place at the start of February. Will the cabinet secretary tell us more about the outcome of that meeting and about how disabled people’s lived experience is helping to inform the work of Social Security Scotland?

I welcome the Scottish Government’s first annual joint meeting between the Cabinet and disabled people, which took place at the start of February. Will the cabinet secretary tell us more about the outcome of that meeting and about how disabled people’s lived experience is helping to inform the work of Social Security Scotland?

The Titan crane is a beacon of the industrial heritage of Clydebank and shipbuilding on the Clyde. It survived two world wars, including the Clydebank blitz. In 2007, after maintenance work and the creation of a visitor centre, the crane was opened to the public. It is a memory of our industrial past—one that helped make Clydebank world renowned and the backbone of Scotland’s shipbuilding industry. Unfortunately, the Labour council failed to maintain the crane, and it now remains closed to the public and left to rust.

Will the First Minister join me on a visit to the Titan crane to see for himself its significance and potential, and will he commit to the Scottish Government doing everything possible, with others, to ensure that it reopens and makes a massive contribution to the tourism industry in Scotland?