On Sunday, 20th July, members of Solent and Isle of Wight Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) from Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastleigh and the Isle of Wight joined others from Northamptonshire at the annual Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival in Dorset.
They were there to take part in the traditional procession through the village.
Solent and Isle of Wight WASPI coordinator, Shelagh Simmons, said,
“This is a regular fixture on our calendar. And this year it was particularly significant.
“Following the shocking December 2024 decision by Liz Kendall (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) to ignore the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and refuse to pay compensation for her Department’s Maladministration, last month we were given permission for legal action against the Government to go ahead.
“A High Court Judge determined that – as we have always known – our case is arguable and ought to be considered at a final hearing.”
She added,
“The reasons given by the Government for refusing to pay were clearly spurious, so WASPI will be challenging them in court.”
Last month also marked another major milestone for the campaign. After initially refusing, at the last minute the Government agreed to a cost-capping arrangement. A cost-capping order (CCO) allows public interest cases to go forward when they would otherwise be unaffordable or create unacceptable financial risk.
Ms Simmons continued,
“We didn’t think we would have to take our own Government to court, especially a Labour Government which fully supported us in Opposition and which claims to have social justice at its core. The sense of betrayal we felt last December is undiminished.
“It’s important for us to be here today with other social justice campaigners and trades unionists. Every year we receive a warm reception as we march with our banner.
“The solidarity shown with us is heartwarming, inspiring and encourages us to carry on. And this issue goes wider than WASPI. If the Government can ride roughshod over its own independent watchdog – a system meant to protect the public and provide a remedy for state-level mistakes – we should all be seriously concerned.”
Among those showing support for the campaign were festival headliner, Billy Bragg, and Neil Duncan-Jordan, Independent MP for Poole.
The WASPI campaigners say,
“We have been campaigning for 10 years. We are still fighting for justice. We are not going away.”
News shared by Shelagh on behalf of Solent WASPI. Ed
