NEWSLETTER 3: SUMMER 2003

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House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Welcome to the third SWAPP newsletter! The campaign continues to gather strength, with more than 187 MPs’ signatures on the House of Commons Early Day Motion supporting SWAPP at the time of writing. These include more than 100 Labour MPs and 24 Conservatives, in addition to the vast majority of my own Lib Dem colleagues. I am very encouraged by this as I believe the campaign will only make progress with all-party support.

I am continuing to explore the possibility of legal action on the “reduced stamp” issue, and to raise women’s pensions in the Commons at every opportunity. The Government has confirmed to me that on average a woman gets a state pension of just 70% of what a man receives. This serves to confirm how important it is for us to keep on raising the profile of women’s pensions.

I would also like to thank Margaret Watts for all the time and effort that she has committed to making SWAPP into a truly active organisation. Carry on campaigning!

Steve Webb MP
Lib Dem Spokesman on Work and Pensions
 

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It is after all our right and freedom to ’LOBBY’ the people we put into Westminster to represent us.

Mrs L: Kent
 

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SWAPP has been operational for one year and, although we have not had any real breakthrough, we have covered much ground. Individual ladies have been successful with their appeals with some winning settlements (not connected to the MWS). This demonstrates that mistakes are made and persistence pays off.

The campaign has been given good coverage by the media; it's just a pity we are not near to a General Election, as this would give the campaign more momentum.

At the time of writing the signatures on the EDM stand at 187. I feel the booklet did help to increase this number as there were certain issues therein that a few MPs stated they were unaware of. 200 MP’s have so far received booklets.

One of our biggest successes is that we have caught the attention of many larger organisations who hopefully will now give women’s pension issues a larger profile. I have made SWAPP an affiliated organisation with the National Pensioners Confederation. I hope by doing this that we will appear to be all singing from the same hymn sheet.

We must continue raising awareness of the shortfalls connected to paying the Married Woman’s Stamp, particularly for the women who continue to work and pay this contribution. We must also continue to share information as there are many other anomalies that arise regarding women’s pensions.

Space again prevents us from printing all the information we receive but I hope you find this Newsletter of interest. We now have a web site, kindly run by Jo Holland, Steve Webb's researcher - please look in if you are on the web: www.swapp.org.uk. It has also been suggested that local groups of SWAPP are formed. I think this is a good idea and if anyone is prepared to start one please contact me and I will give you all the help I can. It would also be helpful if you could state on your letters whether you would like a reply, as this would help reduce the high costs of postage.

Margaret.

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GREYPOWER NOTCHES UP A WIN

John Swinburne of the Scottish Senior Citizens Party became the first MSP to be elected on a pensions issue. John states: “This is history in the making because this is the first time a ‘grey party’ has ever been elected in Britain.”

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN and TAKE NOTE ALL POLITICAL PARTIES. WE ARE AFTER ALL, THE LARGEST GROUP OF VOTERS IN THE COUNTRY.