The Great WASPI Cover-Up - Part 4: A Decade On, No More Excuses

I know, it’s been a while. But I’m nothing but patient!  

Almost a decade since I first exposed the SNP’s dodgy dance around the WASPI issue, I’m back picking up where I left off in Parts 1, 2, and 3.  

https://rwbblog.blogspot.com/search?q=WASPI

TL:DR

I exposed under a series of FOIs and correspondence from the DWP and Scottish Government which shows that the SNP does have had the power since 2016 to compensate WASPI women in Scotland despite claiming otherwise in public and being the sole reason for their inaction. 

For those new to this, WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) fought for women born in the 1950s, hit hard by the UK’s decision to raise the pension age from 60 to 66 without proper notice.

The SNP did their best to recruit these women, no more callously than Mhairi Black - who made her career out of advocating for these women whilst denying that there was no power in Scotland to support WASPI women. 

Hiding behind a wall of “we can’t” while waving the SNP flag for votes.

But there’s a big problem for the SNP, time has finally caught up with them, in 2025, they have no excuses. It’s crystal clear: this was a full-blown cover-up, a manufactured grievance, a political con job. 

Let me explain, one last time. 

As we know the SNP love to play the hero, railing against Westminster’s cruelty. But as the earlier posts show the Scotland Act 2016 gave the Scottish Government the tools—Sections 24, 26, and 28—to step in on these issues. 

Section 24 lets them top up UK pensions, even though they are reserved. 

Section 26 allows discretionary payments for short-term needs. 

Section 28 lets them create new benefits, as long as it’s not a pension tied to “old age.” 

UK ministers like Richard Harrington and Guy Opperman confirmed this, loud and clear, in letters I dug up. 

Most damning? SNP Social Security Minister Jeane Freeman’s *own* leaked letter admitted they could use these powers, especially Section 26, but fobbed it off as “impractical.”

However, the most interesting point she made concerned Section 24. Freeman argues again and again, saying that whilst Section 24 was legally and practically possible, it could not be used as WASPI women weren’t getting their pensions yet, so you can’t top up something that doesn’t exist.

The trouble for Freeman and the SNP was that this was not a dismissal but an attempt to boot that problem into the long grass. Trouble with the long grass route is that eventually, with a bit of time, someone like me gets the mower over to that section of the field. 

By the end of this tax year, every single WASPI woman in Scotland will be at or past the state pension age. That means any policy change now would come into effect once Scottish WASPI are all getting their UK state pension, unless they decided to defer it. 

Section 24—topping up reserved benefits like the pension—is now a slam dunk. Freeman’s long grass boot? Gone. Every WASPI woman qualifies for a top-up. 

The UK government’s already said they won’t challenge it. The Scottish Government repeatedly agreed under the FOIs I exposed that this route is legally and practically possible. 

So, what’s stopping the SNP? Nothing. Except their own priorities. 

I’ve waited and waited, but we’re now at the point where the conspiracy becomes undeniable. The SNP spent years crying, “If we could, we would!” They pointed fingers at Westminster, stoked grievance, and pocketed WASPI votes. 

But the truth? 

They *could*. 

They absolutely and by their own admission *can* now.

But they still *won’t*. 

Their own words and actions betray them. 

The excuses have all gone yet. the Scottish Government is still sitting on its hands, silent as ever. 

This is the smoking gun, folks. It’s politics over highly vulnerable people, exploited for votes and publicity when they had no intention of ever helping them. They’ve strung along thousands of Scottish women, promising support while knowing full well they had the power to deliver. That’s not just a dodge—it’s a betrayal. 

A decade on, the truth is undeniable: this was a cover-up, pure and simple. The SNP manufactured a grievance, cried powerlessness, and banked on WASPI women’s votes while making sure they never had to take the hard decisions of government. 

Freeman’s leaked letter, the UK ministers’ confirmation, the passage of time—all prove they can act under Section 24. The SNP’s refusal to help proves it was never about “can’t.” It was about won’t. 

So, what now? It’s time to call it what it is: a blatant and unconscionable  political con. And now I have absolute and compelling proof that they’ve always been at it.