Denton MP Gwynne elected co-chair of cross-party group

Denton MP Andrew Gwynne has been elected as co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women.

The Labour MP was elected alongside Peter Aldous - the Conservative MP for Waveney - as they replace previous co-Chairs Carolyn Harris and Tim Loughton, who both stood down from their roles.

APPGs are cross-party groups of MPs and Peers who have a particular interest in a topic.

This particular APPG looks to get justice for the 3.8 million women born in the 1950s who were affected by changes to their State Pension age, which were implemented in the 1995 and 2011 Pensions Acts.

Gwynne (pictured) has campaigned on this issue for a number of years and was a founding member of the APPG.

He said: "I’m delighted to be co-Chair of the APPG on State Pension Inequality for Women and am looking forward to working with Peter and Members from across the House on this issue.

"This is an issue that I am very passionate about, having campaigned for a number of years now against the pension-related injustices faced by women born in the 1950s and I’m happy to have this opportunity to continue this work.

"I’d like to thank Carolyn Harris and Tim Loughton for all that they have done in leading this group for the past few years and hope that we can carry on their good work." 

Carolyn Harris - Welsh Labour MP for Swansea East and Deputy Leader of Welsh Labour - tweeted on Monday: 

Today, stepped down as Chair of the State Pension Inequality for Women APPG. I am proud of the work we have done to support these women. But personal attacks - on my staff as well as me - have become too much. I wish the best of luck to my successors @GwynneMP & @peter_aldous.

— Carolyn Harris MP (@carolynharris24) March 15, 2021

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