An MSP says Ayrshire's coalfield communities have been denied a share of £4.4 billion from a surplus of a pension scheme rejected by Boris Johnson.
South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has slammed the Prime Minister for refusing to make changes to a policy which strips out 50 per cent of any surplus from the mineworkers’ pension scheme.
Mr Smyth claims that Boris Johnson has ignored widespread calls, including from the UK Parliament Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee to scrap the policy which has removed £4.4bn from the Scheme since the privatisation of British Coal in 1994.
Speaking during a debate in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, September 9 , Mr Smyth said: “I’m immensely proud to represent a region truly steeped in Scotland’s mining history.
“On the west coast in Ayrshire at one time 14,000 coal miners mined 4 million tonnes of coal annually — and a certain Keir Hardie founded the Ayrshire Miners Union that led to the National Union of Scottish Mineworkers."
The Labour politician says the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme is another “injustice” after the “pain inflicted” in the 80s on coalfield communities.
Mr Smyth added: “But not content with the pain inflicted in the 80s on coalfield communities by Thatcher, and fresh from his crass comments joking about those pit closures, her protégé Boris Johnston has added insult to injury by failing to right the injustice of the Mineworkers Pension Scheme.
"Since the Tories privatised British Coal in 1994, the Treasury has stripped out 50 percent of any surplus from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme.
“That’s £4.4 billion that should have gone to miners and their families.
“It is those miners who toiled away down the pit, creating the wealth and prosperity. And this is the thanks they get?
“Some of those pensioners have been left scrimping and saving on a pensions which in more than half of cases is less than £65 per week.
“Yet if there were communities that would benefit from the spending power of local people having a few pounds more in their pensions — it is our coalfield communities, in desperate need of regeneration.”
A UK Government spokesperson said: “We remain resolutely committed to protecting the pensions of mineworkers.
“Mineworkers’ pension scheme members are receiving payments 33 per cent higher than they would have been thanks to the government’s guarantee and scheme members have received bonuses in addition to their guaranteed pension.”
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
