MEMBERS of Solent Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) will be travelling to London on Thursday to take part in a rally coinciding with a Scottish National Party debate "State pension equalisation for women born in the 1950s" which will take place in Westminster Hall.

WASPI is campaigning for fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born in the 1950s who have been affected by the 1995 and 2011 Pensions Acts.

"On 6th November 2018, men and women's state pension ages were the same for the very first time since the SP was introduced. We do not object to that," said Solent WASPI Group Coordinator, Shelagh Simmons.

"However, women born in the 1950s have not had equality in other areas of life, and the way state pension age changes have been introduced has left a whole generation at a further financial disadvantage.

"We are grateful to Patricia Gibson MP for securing this debate and keeping the issue in the parliamentary spotlight. We urge all MPs in our Solent region to attend."

In her application to the Backbench Business Committee for the debate, Patricia Gibson said: "The UK Government has repeatedly ignored the pleas of these women who continue to conduct their campaign for pension justice with fairness and dignity.

"As MPs it is important that we show these women we support their cause and will continue to be their voice in Parliament. These women are not going away, and nor should they. We need to keep this issue on the agenda and my debate on the WASPI women on 22nd November will help to do that."