A MINIBUS arrived in Beeches car park this morning (Wednesday, March 8) to take Cirencester members of campaign group WASPI to Westminster.

Thousands of members of WASPI – or Women Against State Pension Inequality – from across the country are heading to the capital on what is International Women’s Day and Budget Day.

The bus, which also stopped at Cainscross in Stroud this morning, is now taking the Gloucestershire and Cotswolds branch to meet up with their fellow protestors.

The demonstration will then take place outside the Houses of Parliament with a number of speakers on hand to rally the troops.

Maud Lomberg, a leading member of the local branch, has been drumming up support across the county for months and was keen to thank Cotswolds Labour Party for their support, including funding the bus.

The changing of the pension age for women from 63 to 66, to be put in place in October 2020, was done with little to no notice by the government, according to the group, with protests aiming to bring about a ‘transitional payment’ to women born after April 6, 1951 to help bridge the gap until state pension age.

In a statement on the WASPI website, it says: “The aim of the campaign is to achieve fair and transitional state pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s (born on or after April 6, 1951).

“This translates into a ‘bridging’ pension to cover the gap from age 60 [the original retirement age for those born after 1951] until state pension age (SPA) – not means-tested and with compensation for losses for those women who have already reached their SPA.

“There are no specific age groups within the period mentioned above that are favoured above others.”

Maud led efforts to collect more than 1,200 signatures from appearances in Gloucester, Stroud and then Cirencester last year, which was then presented to Parliament in October.

Ms Lomberg, 60, who runs a small vintage textile business, said changes were made too quickly and did not allow for ‘proper provisions’ to be made, particularly for those self-employed.

“We really feel us women have been shafted by the government,” she said. “We were not given the chance to make proper provisions.”

Ayesha Noonan, of Cotswolds Labour, boarded the bus along with Maud and others in Beeches at 8.45am.

She said: “The Labour Party, nationally and locally, are proud to support the WASPIs in their campaign.

“The local Labour Party has been pleased to help contribute towards the bus.”

She went on to say: “We’ve all been to see Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and he has shown no support.

“There are actually thousands of people in his constituency that will be affected by this.”


If you would like to get involved or learn more about WASPI email waspi.claire@gmail.com or visit waspi.co.uk.