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North Derbyshire WASPI group are targeting their single ‘We’ve Been Stung’ at regional and national radio stations.

The song is an original that was composed by Robert Laughlin who plays the music. ‘We’ve Been Stung’ was performed in the group’s play about their campaign which was written by Lynn Ludditt and directed by Carole Copeland – all artists from the Chesterfield area – and staged in the town’s West Studios theatre.

Angela Madden, who chairs the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign and features in the song, said: “It was so well received we decided to release it as a single. Martyn Stonehouse produced it for us at Infirmary Records in Chesterfield. We are all volunteers in our 60s and 70s, we never imagined we would be cutting our first single at our age.”

WASPI campaigners Denise Baker, Linda D'Agata, Moira Holland, Lesley Hardy, Patricia Clough, Angela Madden, Joan Lye-Green, Janet Goodrich and Carol Mullins are pictured with record producer Martyn Stonehouse.

WASPI is battling for compensation for thousands of Fifties-born women affected by State Pension Age changes that were not communicated to them. Two in five say they had already retired or reduced their hours by the time they found out they would not receive a pension at 60. Others had their plans to retire ruined with less than twelve months’ notice.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has been investigating the now proven “maladministration” by the Department for Work and Pensions for nearly five years, but has yet to make a ruling on the compensation owed to women affected.

Angela said: “This song is not just a ‘bit of fun’. It is – sadly – deadly serious, since 250,000 women have already lost their lives while government – and the Ombudsman – continues to prevaricate.

“It is perfectly clear that there was maladministration in DWP, as the testimony of thousands of women every day on our social media bears out. Women did not know about the state pension age changes and have lost massive opportunities to plan properly for their retirement as a result.

“We hope that radio stations around the country will give our song the oxygen it deserves on the airwaves, so that more people and more MPs are aware of just how badly we have been stung."

All proceeds from the sale of the song will go into WASPI’s campaign funds. You can buy the song at https://ndwaspi.bandcamp.com/track/waspi-women-weve-been-stung

WASPI pension campaigners release single 'We've Been Stung' written and recorded in Chesterfield