COUNCILLORS who dismissed a motion to support women affected by pension reforms, ‘sniggered’ as their party voted through a motion which ignored the pension row and instead aims to force the SNP to write to the Scottish Government about funding.

And one Ayr woman, who attended last week’s meeting said she is “appalled, angry and horrified” following the vote on Women’s State Pension Increase.

The issue, which has been discussed many times by local MP Corri Wilson, was subject to a motion by SNP councillor Allan Dorans at the full South Ayrshire Council meeting on Thursday, December 15.

Councillor Dorans appealed to fellow councillors to write a letter on behalf of the council, to the Secretary of State for Works and Pensions to call upon the United Kingdom Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after April, 6 1951. 

According to Dorans, women of that age have had to suffer through changes imposed on them by the Pensions Act of 1995 and 2011. This means, women were planning to retire at the age of 60 before being notified - sometimes weeks - before their planned date that they were not eligible for a State Pension due to an increase in age. The SNP councillors believed the UK Government were to blame as this was a reserved issue they claimed.

However, as the motion was tabled, Conservative Troon councillor and leader Bill McIntosh tabled an amendment to the motion asking councillors to instead write to the Scottish Government to halt cuts and reconsider the Local Government Settlement. The amendment was supported by fellow Troon councillor Peter Convery.

Cllr Nan McFarlane spoke in outrage.

She said: “This is an insult to women in South Ayrshire.” 

When asked what the connection to the Local Government Settlement was to the increase in women’s state pension Bill McIntosh cited a ‘question of hardship’ and ‘a wider impact by the Scottish Government from the consequence of the Local Government Settlement.

A debate soon followed in front of Provost Helen Moonie.

Independent Cllr Alec Clark said: “I am really sad to see an amendment.
“These women have been caught out in a time of life where they had no time to prepare.”

Labour Cllr Brian McGinley said: “The SNP are right to highlight this. However we haven’t been treated well by this Government.”

Fellow Labour Cllr Philip Saxton said: “The motion is correct, though women want equality, so retirement should be equal. I would tell the SNP, you have got the contacts, we cannot work without the services”.

SNP Cllr Ian Douglas then verbally attacked his Labour colleagues to Philip Saxton’s outrage.

He said: “The once strong Labour are very quick to jump into bed with the Tories.”

In the summing up process, Allan Dorans said he was ‘embarrassed to be a member of South Ayrshire Council’ and people who voted for the amendment should ‘hang their heads in shame’.

Councillors voted for the amendment by 15-13 in favour of requesting that the SNP opposition write to the Scottish Government.

Local Ayr woman Frances Brown spoke to the Ayr Advertiser Series after watching the debate and vote.

She said: “I am appalled, angry and horrified that the Tories and Labour used this opportunity to take a dig at the SNP. 

“They had no regard for the women and no concern.

“The Tories were sniggering throughout the debate. It was absolutely disgusting and amazingly awful.

“I am not an SNP member and I am not the worst affected by this. I am appalled by the Tories and Labour today.”