Today I have been in Parliament and then to meet the WASPI women who have each week been turning up outside parliament to perform a silent protest for our state pension..... Over 60s born in 1950s have fallen in the abyss of the sudden shift in the retirement age for women from 60 to 66 yrs.... I was born in 1954 so have fallen into this horrible situation too..... So a domestic violence survivor that has been robbed of my finances by my perpetrator to then be robbed by government ill thought out policies. I worked from 1969 paid tax (as indeed all my family have) then to be denied my state pension is disgraceful of government. I have no savings as was left penniless- nothing so reliant on the DWP helping me in my vulnerable part of my life.... as you have read from my story thus far.... I have lost my foothold in my career, do not get shortlisted for work these days but do get offered volunteer work.... this was sanctioned by the JSA... resulting in my vitamin deficiency lack of nutrition, my immune system unable to fight off a chest infection and was hospitalised with pneumonia.... The lack of a strong and stable platform of support leading to costing the NHS in my care....
But I cannot get over how a woman Prime Minister is ignoring my voice and the voices of the WASPI women..... disgraceful and somewhat stupid as we are all voters and all this is a major vote loser for her party. It was very alarming and but somewhat an example of the lack of compassion the Tories have... that Theresa Villiers Tory MP for Chipping Barnet came out of the Downing street gates and walked with nose up in the air passed the WASPI women at the gates...This is so shameful that Tory MPs cannot come to the people and listen and help them... the most precious asset any leader and government have is the people, the citizens of the land, the voters... so it is somewhat stupid to ignore the voters pain from mal policies... better to listen and reform the policies to lessen or stop that pain in society.... In contrast I met Hiliary Benn Labour MP for Leeds Central ... we stopped and talked outside Parliament on my way to the Emily Pankhurst statue for our Granny Revolution.. He stopped He listened. He gave me time, He took in all I was saying and had compassion for the pain I am in as a Domestic Survivor and WASPI....we even discussed the CPS failing of me and my time in the Westminster Hall debate on the CPS failings- from cutbacks! He expressed his relief that I have John McDonnell as my MP to help care for my situation.....
People need their voices heard... Women survivors need their voices heard, Women over 60 need their voices heard.... we are taxpayers and done a lot for Queen & Country, so to have Government ignoring us is a real vote loser.
Thank you to the BBC for taking an interest in our cause and helping to get Women's Voices Heard.. I have done a piece to camera - and hope it is not edited but the film as to be taken down to an 8 mins broadcast... So hope there is a follow through on the campaign to get women domestic violence survivors voices heard too. My campaign is intertwined with the problem of reaching 64yrs with no assets. The state pension would give me some financial dignity & peace!
My left arm as a pin & plate in from the brutal attack on me by my perpetrator,
but my right hand is my writing hand and the one that holds the pen to mark a X on a ballot paper...
Time to listen Mrs May!