MPs debate transitional state pension arrangements for women

Paul_Herring

mystic_trev wrote: »

http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2016/02/richard-graham-labour-and-the-snp-will-break-their-promises-on-womens-pensions.html

From the end..

I hope that WASPI campaigners interested in the truth will read this and decide whether it is better to have politicians who will use you and deceive you, or politicians who, however sympathetic to a case, take a responsible approach to spending, debt and inter generational fairness and are not afraid to spell that out.

Well I know they won't be interested in the latter, so - while acknowledging it's a false dichotomy - that means the former.

Pollycat

mystic_trev wrote: »

This article sums it up nicely.

http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2016/02/richard-graham-labour-and-the-snp-will-break-their-promises-on-womens-pensions.html

From the article:

The WASPI campaign wants ‘fair transitional arrangements’. The e petition didn’t spell these out, but the campaign Facebook page does: “What is our ask? Put all women born in the 1950s, or after 6th April 1951, and affected by the changes to the state pension age in the same financial position they would have been in had they been born on or before 5th April 1950”.


This ask has now been moved from the front of the WASPI Facebook campaign page to its notes, but no other ask is mentioned and none of the founders has denied to me that this is what they want. One of them, giving evidence to the Select Committee, said “we feel this is a very fair ask”. So what does it mean in legislative and practical terms?


It would unpick the 1995 Act and be open to legal challenge by men who could argue gender discrimination, but most importantly – since the WASPI campaign is all about the ‘financial position’ for the women born in the 1950s – is its cost.

The ill-thought-out or poorly-worded WASPI campaign (whichever it was) has come back to bite them (and all women in the same situation) on the bum.

As for Nadine Dorries, she is a disgrace to women. I'm ashamed she is the same sex (and a similar age) to me.

Malthusian

Nadine_Dorries'_Twitter wrote:

Equalisation of pension age shld happen when men have menopause Breast cancer, fibroids, hysterectomy stress incontinence and osteoporosis

Truly pathetic. I could list a number of medical conditions unique or at least vastly predominant among men, but why would I get into a sore-waving contest?

This is WASPI's main line of argument and boils down to "We are the weaker sex - men have an obligation to look after us". (If women retire 5 years earlier than men and there is no difference in hours worked or productivity, who is paying for it?) "We need extra state pension because some of us can't stop soiling ourselves." Anyone who thinks this is "feminism" needs to have a word with themselves.

Paul_Herring

Malthusian wrote: »

Truly pathetic. I could list a number of medical conditions unique or at least vastly predominant among men, but why would I get into a sore-waving contest?

The problem is, of course (beyond the fact that it's Nadine,) that while purporting to give a list of women-only ailments, at least three of them can be suffered by men (breast cancer, stress incontinence and osteoporosis.)

PensionTech

The bigger problem is that it's a total non-sequitur and promotes inequality of entitlement and opportunity. Exactly the opposite of what most feminists would argue for.

jem16

mystic_trev wrote: »

This article sums it up nicely.

http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2016/02/richard-graham-labour-and-the-snp-will-break-their-promises-on-womens-pensions.html

Waspi supporters hate Richard Graham with a vengeance just now. They accuse him of lying amongst other things.

Facebook has seen many posts today from people who are questioning the "ask". Of course they have now been deleted.

jem16

Just saw this survey on state pension age increase if anyone is interested in completing it. Seems to be looking at some of the options mentioned in the last debate.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Feb2016H

LXdaddy

jem16 wrote: »

Just saw this survey on state pension age increase if anyone is interested in completing it. Seems to be looking at some of the options mentioned in the last debate.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Feb2016H

hmmmm - I wonder who is behind it. The background information says it is funded by a group of private individuals and not associated with government or any political party.

jem16

LXdaddy wrote: »

hmmmm - I wonder who is behind it. The background information says it is funded by a group of private individuals and not associated with government or any political party.

As you say that's all that it says but it is anonymous. I don't usually fill in surveys but this seemed a good way to get views of non-Waspi supporters across.

It also seems to give Waspi supporters a chance to say what option they would like to see happen as it doesn't look like the main "ask" is getting them anywhere.

colsten

LXdaddy wrote: »

hmmmm - I wonder who is behind it. The background information says it is funded by a group of private individuals and not associated with government or any political party.

Good question - although my answers would not be influenced by who asked the questions.

Only time I don't do surveys is if 1) the subject is of no interest to me and 2) if the questions look skewed. On this one, I am interested, and the questions look balanced, and so are the options for answers. Hope we'll be able to see the outcome of the survey.