HARLOW Labour and Conservative councillors clashed over a motion on women’s state pensions (WASPI).

The motion was proposed by Labou councillor, Lanie Shears.

It read:

“This Council calls upon Esther McVey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1950, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age with lack of appropriate notification.

Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little or no personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age. Many women born in the 1950s are living in hardship as a result.

This Council calls upon Esther McVey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6 April 1950, so that a phased and fair implementation ensures that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.

As you can see from our film below, things got heated after the deputy leader of the Conservative group, cllr Joel Charles spoke. Labour councillor Stefan Mullard claimed the Tories had “reneged on the deal (8 min mark on film).

The motion was passed but not before a considerable amount of fireworks.