IRVINE’S MP is backing a campaign by war widows to have their military pension reinstated.

Dr Philippa Whitford last week joined a group of campaigners outside the Houses of Parliament to show her support.

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

This affects 200 to 300 women and Dr Whitford has backed the campaign, led by Leeds North West MP Greg Mulholland, for all of the women to continue to get some form of military pension.

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.

Dr Whitford, the MP for Central Ayrshire, 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 the war widows had to give up the compensation they were rightly entitled to. It was very humbling speaking to them and hearing their stories.”

“It is ridiculous that this injustice is allowed to persist and the UK Government should put it right. I sincerely hope their campaign is successful.”