WEST Dunbartonshire’s Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) campaigners have vowed to fight on despite High Court judges dismissing their state pension age change appeal.

On Tuesday, September 16, judges at the High Court in London told the protesting group that introducing the same state pensions age for men and women (from 60 to 66) did not amount unlawful discrimination.

However, local WASPI leader Liz Daly has stated that the fight against injustice is not yet over.

Liz told the Reporter: “West Dunbartonshire WASPI are devastated by the verdict, however we do not consider ourselves to be defeated.

We still have our complaints which are lodged with the parliamentary ombudsman, claiming maladministration at the Department for Work and Pensions. 

“A lot of our actions were put on hold due to Back To 60’s court case and appeal, due to sub-judice. We intend to pursue these avenues, lobbying MPs and providing facts and life stories. 
“This has to be the greatest injustice shown to women since winning the right to vote. 
“Martyn Day, SNP MP for Falkirk, raised the topic at Prime Minister’s Question time this week and Boris Johnson could not provide an answer.

"We want it known - we are not going away.

“It has been well documented that West Dunbartonshire has a high early mortality rate. This is literally a fight to the death for local women.”

West Dunbartonshire MP Martin Docherty-Hughes commented on the verdict: “I’ve stood side-by-side with West Dunbartonshire’s WASPI women in the campaign to right the wrongs of their shameful treatment by the UK government.

“All across the UK 1950s-born women are being cruelly robbed of the state pensions they’ve worked hard all their lives to earn.

“This latest court ruling is heartbreaking news after all the hard work put in by our WASPI campaigners. They have shown great dignity and determination throughout and deserve better than to be hung out to dry by this Tory government.

“The Prime Minister has promised to look again at the plight of the WASPI women. We in the SNP intend to hold him to account for that and will continue pressing for restitution for the 350,000 Scots being unfairly denied their state pensions.”

The UK Government welcomed the ruling, saying the changes were a “long-overdue move towards gender equality.”