Chamber and committees

I thank Clare Haughey for securing this important debate and for her commitment to justice. How we treat our pensioners should define our country, but they have been forced into poverty. WASPI women worked tirelessly throughout their lives only to find themselves facing a dreadful delay to receiving their pension. That has left many struggling to make ends meet and facing financial uncertainty at a time when they should be able to retire after decades of work.

In my constituency, it is estimated that more than 4,700 women in East Dunbartonshire and more than 6,000 in West Dunbartonshire have been affected by the changes to the state pension age. The final PHSO report is clear on the failures of successive UK Governments and of the DWP. That comprehensive investigation has found that

“thousands of women may have been affected by DWP’s failure to adequately inform them?that the State Pension age had changed.”

The report is clear that those women are owed compensation, but the amount that is suggested of between £1,000 and £2,950 per person is a paltry sum. I echo WASPI women’s calls for any UK Government to consider higher levels of compensation to reflect the decades of mistreatment.

It is shameful that the women have still not received a formal apology or explanation from the Government, and it is even more worrying that the PHSO chief executive has

“significant concerns”

that the DWP will

“fail to act on”

the findings. The truth is that there will be no change under a Westminster regime.

It is a matter of days until there is a new UK Government, which is likely to be a Labour one. In contrast, it is a matter of days ago that, in this chamber, Paul O’Kane said:

“Labour supports the delivery of justice for WASPI women”,

and Katy Clark said that the next UK Government

“must deliver justice and compensation to those women.”—[Official Report, 1 May 2024; c 44, 55.]

Here we are, and the manifestos are out—the real and the fictitious. There is no honest decency and integrity. I have searched the Labour manifesto and there is no mention of the courageous WASPI women. I even played the game and searched the fictitious Scottish Labour branch office manifesto and—no surprise—following orders, there is no mention in that either. Make no mistake: if you are a WASPI woman, the Labour Party and the Tories are not on your side.

What the women object to—and rightly so, as the UK Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has confirmed in its final report—is the way in which equalisation was carried out. That was far from equal and far from just. It was unjust in the speed with which it was rolled out, with the UK Government ignoring expert advice; it was unjust in the lack of proper consultation; and it was unjust in the abject failure to inform women of that major change to their circumstances and that fundamental disruption to their lives and retirement plans.

Many women have suffered severe financial loss as a result of that failure. Some have been able to find work, albeit not work that they would have chosen, not with the wages that they would have chosen and not at the times that they would have chosen. Others, bearing health problems or committed to caring for others, have not even had those minimal opportunities for mitigation.

Families have suffered—ageing parents, husbands, wives, partners, children and grandchildren. Communities have suffered, losing activists and volunteers, as well as the pensions that would have been spent in local businesses and social enterprises. We have all, to some extent, suffered from yet another example of Government incompetence, slapdash policy making and indifference to the lives and wellbeing of the people whom it is supposed to serve.

In the last fortnight of this venal UK Government’s plummet from power, we do not expect very much, but it could surprise us. On the way out, it could discover a forgotten ounce of common decency—enough to fuel an apology and a decent level of compensation. We will certainly expect the next occupiers to do that.

When the WASPI women started school, like many of us, they were told to sit down on their allocated chairs, to listen to the teacher and not to speak without putting up their hand. Now, with a lifetime of wisdom and experience, they know that sometimes people should not sit down and they should not shut up. I will sit down and shut up soon, but only to hear more voices of solidarity. The Scottish Greens and I will continue to stand and shout with the WASPI women, as loudly as we can, in their urgent call for equality and justice.

The Labour Party has decided that WASPI women do not matter to it. By contrast, only days ago, our First Minister, John Swinney, reaffirmed the SNP’s position and its concrete commitment in support of full, fair and fast compensation for WASPI women. It is clear that the SNP will champion their right to fast and fair compensation.

No, I have not. The member must be shocked that it is not in Labour’s manifesto. There was no mention of WASPI women in the commitment that it made just the other week. I will get on with my speech.

Despite constant setbacks, WASPI women have remained steadfast in their resolve. In the face of injustice, they have shown determination and courage. They continue to push on for the estimated 270,000 women who have sadly passed away without seeing compensation. I have seen that at first hand, having met many of the fantastic WASPI women—in particular, the co-ordinator of the West Dunbartonshire WASPI group, Liz Daly, who is a selfless, committed and resilient woman.

Time is unfortunately not on their side, so we need to see immediate action on the issue. Those women are here to stay, and we in the SNP will keep fighting for them, because those women have done enough—they have fought for compensation for nearly a decade. They have done the work and now they have been vindicated by the ombudsman’s report.

It is time for Westminster to get to work. We need to see the next UK Government compensate immediately—WASPI women have asked for a commitment within 100 days, so I hope that Labour will make that commitment—or stand aside and let the SNP Government do just that. We must let real change happen. If Labour is really honest, our WASPI women must get the justice they deserve.

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the United Kingdom Government to discuss the impact of Brexit on Scotland’s food and drink exports. (S6O-03594)

The outgoing UK Government imposed a deeply damaging and costly Brexit on my constituents and on the economy. Given that the academic think tank, UK in a Changing Europe, said that Labour’s EU plan will have a “minimal” impact on the cost of Brexit, I am glad that the cabinet secretary agrees that only real change from the disaster of Brexit will come when Scotland becomes an independent country with full membership of the EU.

You have all touched on the growing commissioner landscape in Scotland. What are your views on having a disability commissioner and a learning disabilities, autism and neurodivergence commissioner? How might the two operate? I will start with Amy Dalrymple. Amy, will you expand a wee bit on that?

No problem.

Referring back to what we heard last week, we want to know your thoughts about the concern that the funding of a new disability commissioner could divert money away from other public policies aimed at those with disabilities. I throw that out to the witnesses—but we do not want to be tokenistic on this point.

That is much appreciated. Thank you. I will hand back to the convener.

Thanks for that.

I will move on to finances. Again, my questions in that area are similar to the ones that I asked last week. Under the financial estimates, we are talking about a cost of possibly £1 million. Do you think that that underestimates the costs of set-up and so on?

I appreciate your comments. Does anybody else wish to add something before I hand back to the convener?