WASPI shares new list of General Election candidates supporting State Pension age compensation for women

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has issued an eleventh-hour plea to 1950s-born women, urging them to ‘use their vote to win justice’ ahead of the General Election on July 4. WASPI said that more than 200 candidates from across all political parties have indicated their support for State Pension age change compensation.

However, campaigners said the lack of commitment from the leaders of Labour and the Conservatives has left many women considering whether to vote at all. Angela Madden, Chair of the WASPI campaign, said: “We very much understand women’s frustration, but not voting won’t help.”

She continued: “We’ve been encouraging everyone to write to their individual candidates and to hold their feet to the fire after polls have closed. We were getting so close to victory before the General Election. This is unfinished business that a new government just won’t be able to ignore so long as we all keep using our voices - and our votes.”

Thousands of women have been commenting on the WASPI campaign’s Facebook page, expressing their frustration at a lack of commitment to compensation.

Tina said: “Well that’s a resounding no from me…..sorry not voting goes against everything I believe, but I’ve been fighting this for the last 10 years. The only people I believe in are us.”

Jenny commented: “I wrote to both parties but they didn’t have the courtesy to reply which has been frustrating.”

Dawn added: “I wrote to them all. No response of course but an email response to say with an election under way blah blah blah but at least they have my emails.”

Other members of WASPI’s 140,000-strong Facebook page backed Angela Madden’s calls to vote on Thursday, arguing that women owed it to the suffragettes to exercise their right to vote at the ballot box.

Elizabeth said: “Women fought and died for us to have the right to vote so make sure you do ladies, even if it’s a protest vote. The fight for WASPI goes on.”

Elaine commented: “I got a lovely email straight back from the Lib Dem candidate saying it's in their manifesto and he will definitely support it.”

WASPI has welcomed manifesto commitments to State Pension age compensation from the Liberal Democrats, SNP and Plaid Cymru. Labour and the Conservative Parties have not committed to a compensation scheme, but WASPI said 59 Labour candidates and 21 Conservatives have pledged their support.

An estimated 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were affected when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - under successive governments - failed to inform them of increases to their State Pension age.

Before the General Election was called, a landmark report published by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) instructed ministers to apologise and administer a compensation plan without delay.

The PHSO recommended compensation equivalent to Level 4 on its banding scale - between £1,000 and £2,950.

Candidates backing compensation for WASPI women

SNP (24)

• Alan Brown, Kilmarnock & Loudoun

• Allan Dorans, Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock

• Amy Callaghan, Mid Dunbartonshire

• Anne McIndoe, Central Ayrshire

• Brendan O'Hara, Argyll, Bute & South Lochaber

• Chris Stephens, Glasgow South

• David Wilson, Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk

• Deidre Brock, Edinburgh North & Leith

• Glen Reynolds, West Aberdeenshire & Kincardine

• Graham Leadbitter, Moray West, Nairn & Strathspey

• Jacqueline Cameron, Paisley & Renfrewshire

• John Nicholson, Alloa & Grangemouth

• Katy Loudon, Rutherglen

• Kirsten Oswald, East Renfrewshire

• Lucy Beatty, Caithness Sutherland & Easter Ross

• Marion Fellows, Motherwell Wishaw & Carluke

• Patricia Gibson, North Ayrshire & Arran

• Ronnie Cowans, Inverclyde & Renfrewshire West

• Ross Clark, Hamilton & Clyde Valley

• Stefan Hoggan-Radu, North East Fife

• Stuart McDonald, Cumbernauld & Kirkintilloch

• Tommy Sheppard, Edinburgh East

• Toni Giugliano, Falkirk

Conservatives (22)

• Amanda Hempsey, Argyll, Bute & South Lochaber

• Andrew Selous, Dunstable & Leighton

• Anna Firth, Southend West & Leigh

• Anne-Marie Trevelyan, North Northumberland

• Bob Seely, Isle of Wight West

• Christopher Chope, Christchurch

• Duncan Baker, North Norfolk

• Jean McBean, Bishop Auckland

• John Penrose, Weston-super-Mare

• Julian Lewis, New Forest East

• Laurence Robinson, Tewkesbury

• Lee Rowley, North East Derbyshire

• Leila Williams, East Worthing & Shoreham

• Lewis Bartoli, Tynemouth

• Luke Gardiner, Mid Derbyshire

• Marco Longhi, Dudley

• Mark Francois, Rayleigh & Wickford

• Matt Vickers, Stockton

• Nikki da Costa, North East Herts

• Peter Aldous, Lowestoft

• Sam Joynson, Eastleigh

• Scott Mann, North Cornwall

Labour (63)

• Afzal Khan, Manchester, Rusholme

• Alan Campbell, Tynemouth

• Alex Sobel, Leeds Central & Headingley

• Alex Davies Jones, Pontypridd

• Allison Gardner, Stoke on Trent South

• Andrew Gwynne, Gorton & Denton

• Bayo Alaba, Southend East & Rochford

• Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Clapham & Brixton Hill

• Ben Goldsborough, South Norfolk

• Cat Eccles, Stourbridge

• Charlotte Nichols, Warrington North

• Chi Onwurah, Newcastle upon Tyne Central & West

• Chris Hinchcliffe, NE Herts

• Clive Lewis, Norwich South

• David Smith, North Northumberland

• David Burton-Sampson, Southend West & Leigh

• Devina Paul, Hamble Valley

• Diane Abbott, Hackney North & Stoke Newington

• Emma Lewell Buck, South Shields

• Emma Bishton, South Suffolk

• Eunice O'Dame, Kingston & Surbiton

• Fabian Hamilton, Leeds North East

• Grahame Morris, Easington

• Gurpreet Padda, Waveney Valley

• Ian Lavery, Blyth & Ashington

• Ian Byrne, Liverpool West Derby

• Jack Abbott, Ipswich

• Jen Craft, Thurrock

• Jessica Asato, Lowestoft

• Jo Platt, Leigh & Atherton

• John McDonnell, Hayes and Harlington

• Jon Trickett, Normanton & Hemsworth

• Kate Hollern, Blackburn

• Lee Pitcher, Doncaster East & Isle of Axholme

• Lewis Atkinson, Sunderland South

• Liz Twist, Blaydon

• Luke Akehurst, North Durham

• Mark Maguire, Castle Point

• Marsha de Cordova, Battersea

• Mary Kelly Foy, Durham

• Mel Dawkins, Faversham & Mid Kent

• Melanie Onn, Great Grimsby & Cleethorpes

• Najmul Hussain, Brigg & Immingham

• Nic Dakin, Scunthorpe

• Olivia Blake, Sheffield Hallam

• Peter Prinsley, Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket

• Preet Kaur Gill, Birmingham Edgbaston

• Rebecca Long-Bailey, Salford

• Richard Quigley, Isle of Wight West

• Richard Burgon, Leeds East

• Rob Pocock, Sutton Coldfield

• Rosie Duffield, Canterbury

• Rupa Huq, Ealing Central & Acton

• Rushanara Ali, Bethnal Green & Stepney

• Sarah Champion, Rotherham

• Shaun Williams, Telford

• Stephanie Harvey, Havant

• Stephen Morgan, Portsmouth South

• Terry Jermy, South West Norfolk

• Toby Perkins, Chesterfield

• Yasmin Qureshi, Bolton South & Walkden

• Zarah Sultana, Coventry South

• Zoe Billingham, South Cotswolds

Liberal Democrats (69)

• Adam Dance, Yeovil

• Adrian Hyyrrylainen-Trett, Old Bexley & Sidcup

• Alan Reid, Argyll, Bute & South Lochaber

• Alastair Mitton, Ealing Central & Acton

• Alex Wagner, Shrewsbury

• Alex Brewer, North East Hampshire

• Alison Bennett, Mid Sussex

• Bella Hewitt, Fareham

• Ben Maguire, North Cornwall

• Benedict Dempsey, East Grinstead & Uckfield

• Brett Mickleburgh, Central Suffolk & North Ipswich

• Caroline Voaden, South Devon

• Charlie Murphy, Portsmouth South

• Charlotte Cane, Ely & East Cambridgeshire

• Chris Brown, South Norfolk

• Christine Jardine, Edinburgh East

• Claire Sully, Bridgewater/Burnham

• Claire Smalley, Lincoln

• Daisy Cooper, St Albans

• David Nichol, Bromsgrove

• Dominic Martin, East Hampshire

• Edward Morello, West Dorset

• Emma Matanle, Hertsmere

• Henry Batchelor, West Suffolk

• Ian Stotesbury, Watford

• Jack Davies, New Forest West

• James MacCleary, Lewes

• James Allen, Southend East & Rochford

• Jamie Stone, Caithness Sutherland & Easter Ross

• Jess Brown-Fuller, Chichester

• John Milne, Horsham

• John Appleby, Tynemouth

• Jonathan Harris, Daventry

• Jonathan Aibi, South Shields

• Jules Ewart, Suffolk Central

• Julia Aglionby, Penrith & Solway

• Kate Smith, Amber Valley

• Khalil Yousuf, Farnham & Bordon

• Layla Moran, Oxford West

• Lee Dillon, Newbury

• Liz Adams, Banbury

• Liz Jarvis, Eastleigh

• Manuela Perteghella, Stratford upon Avon

• Martin Goss, Colchester

• Monica Harding, Esher & Walton

• Natalie Younes, North Northumberland

• Neil Alexander, Moray West, Nairn & Strathspey

• Olly Glover, Didcot & Wantage

• Paul Follows, Godalming & Ash

• Phil Hutty, Torridge & Tavistock

• Pippa Heylings, South Cambridgeshire

• Prad Bains, Hamble Valley

• Richard Allen, Arundel & South Downs

• Richard Lloyd, Boston & Skegness

• Richard Foord, Honiton & Sidmouth

• Ross Pepper, Louth & Horncastle

• Ross Shipman, North East Derbyshire

• Ruth Brown, North East Herts

• Sarah Olney, Richmond Park

• Steffan Aquarone, North Norfolk

• Stephen Cummins, Southend West & Leigh

• Steve Darling, Torbay

• Susan Murray, Mid Dunbartonshire

• Tom Morrison, Cheadle

• Tom Bartlett, South Suffolk

• Toni Brodelle, Wycombe

• Vikki Slade, Mid Dorset & Poole

• Wendy Chamberlain, North East Fife

• Zoe Franklin, Guildford

Reform UK (10)

• Andrew Husband, North Durham

• Andy Meacham, North West Hampshire

• Gordon Fletcher, Gateshead Central & Wickham

• Janice Richardson, Newcastle East & Wallsend

• Malcolm Tullett, Bracknell

• Melvyn Todd, Portsmouth North

• Oliver Freeston, Great Grimsby & Cleethorpes

• Paul Quickenden, Honiton & Sidmouth

• Steve Dean, Mid Derbyshire

• Steve Adelantado, North East Herts

Greens (14)

• Adria Pittock, Ipswich

• Adrian Ramsay, Waveney Valley

• Cameron Palin, Isle of Wight West

• Cate Cody, Tewkesbury

• Connor Shaw, Romsey & Southampton North

• Elliott Lee, Portsmouth South

• Frank Adlington-Stringer, North East Derbyshire

• Julian Cusack, Suffolk Coastal

• Nick Morphet, Hexham

• Robert Watson, Louth & Horncastle

• Rod Hebden, Swindon South

• Sian Berry, Brighton Pavilion

• Sonya Mallin, West Worthing

• Vix Lowthian, Isle of Wight East

Independent (7)

• Ahmed Khan, South Shields

• Amy Wheelton, South Derbyshire

• Chris Whaley, Hexham

• Christopher Greener, Tynemouth

• James Tasker, St Helens South & Whiston

• Jan Cunliffe, Wigan

• Paul Clark, Northampton South

Plaid Cymru

• Ben Lake, Ceredigion Preseli

DUP

• Jim Shannon, Strangford

English Democrats

• David Dickason, Boston & Skegness

SDP

• Tom Chittenden, North Durham

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