MP joins war widows protest

David Simpson MP joined a protest of war widows outside the Houses of Parliament, to give his support to a campaign demanding they have their compensation reinstated.

Various changes over the years to government’s compensation policies have left an anomaly- that women widowed between 1973 and 2005, had remarried and given up their compensation, are unable to have their compensation reinstated.

This anomaly affects 200 to 300 women and David Simpson has backed the campaign, led by Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland, for all of these women to continue getting some form of compensation.

War widows from around the country travelled down to Parliament to protest and unfurled a banner in front of Parliament demanding “Justice for ALL war widows!” They were joined by MPs from all parties who came along to give their support and join the protest.

The war widows then went inside Parliament for a meeting, where they shared their experiences of having to choose between finding love again and having economic security. The war widows also shared the stories of their former husbands who died due to service.

Commenting, David Simpson MP said: “I’m pleased to give this campaign my support. The war widows I met at the protest outside Parliament have been very unjustly treated. Their husbands died fighting for our country, we owe them a huge debt, and that means we should take care of their loved ones.

“It is not right that they had to give up the compensation they were rightly entitled to. It was very humbling speaking to the war widows and hearing their stories. I hope their campaign is successful.”

Greg Mulholland MP added: “The scenes outside Parliament were very moving. These women have been treated very unjustly.”