UNISON Scotland Protecting Our Pensions

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Protecting Our Pensions - Email your MSPs

How to find your MSPs
You have one local constituency MSP and seven regional MSPs.

To find your MSPs from your postcode click here for MSP search on the Scottish Parliament site (opens in a new window)

Note the names of your local and regional MSPs, then use the drop down list on the email form on this page to select a name, fill in the form and click 'send'.

Please send one email each to all your own MSPs, local and regional.

Please also send an email each your MP: click here to go to page for emailing MP

Thanks for helping to protect our pensions.

Protecting our pensions

UNISON Scotland Pensions home page

Email now to lobby your MSPs over the Public Service Pensions Bill

Let your MSPs know you want them to use the Scottish Parliament’s powers over a Legislative Consent Motion (Sewell motion) to demand amendments to this Westminster Bill. These amendments should retain the powers of the Scottish Parliament to design Scottish pension schemes without interference from the UK Treasury.

Here's what you need to do.

Check the name of your MSP (see How to find your MSP - right)
Please remember - you have 7 regional MSPs and a local MSP. (You also have ONE Westminster MP.) They all represent you. Please use the form below to send emails to as many of your own MSPs as you can and send an email to your MP using the form on the MP emailing page
Fill in the form below
Click to send!

Note: Please fill in all the fields

To:	click to choose
Subject:
Your message: If you re-write this in your own words, you will make this action even more effective.	Dear MSP I am writing to express my concern about the above Bill that is being considered at Committee Stage in Westminster. As you will be aware primary pension legislation is a reserved issue mainly covered by the UK Superannuation Act 1972. This is largely enabling legislation that allows the Scottish Parliament to design schemes by regulation that meets Scottish requirements. However, this Bill prescribes key elements of all schemes and that will apply to the Scottish schemes for the first time. All of these elements are currently decided in Scotland and therefore the Bill significantly undermines the current and future pension schemes. If the Bill goes through unamended, the Scottish Parliament will be required to bring the Scottish schemes into line with agreements reached in England on key issues. These may not reflect Scottish circumstances and they constitute an unwarranted interference by the Treasury in Scottish provisions. For many years I have done the responsible thing by paying into a pension scheme. I expect the rules for that pension scheme to be negotiated between my trade union and the employers, leading to regulations being passed by the Scottish Parliament. I do not want the Treasury to be able to narrowly prescribe the scope of those negotiations or change the rules at will. Such an action will undermine my confidence in the pension scheme. My trade union UNISON has taken legal advice that this legislation requires the approval of the Scottish Parliament through a Legislative Consent Motion (Sewell convention). The UK Government has now confirmed that an LCM is required although on narrow grounds. However, in my view this opens the door for the Scottish Parliament to assert its powers to design pension schemes in Scotland. I am very surprised that the Scottish Government appears unwilling to argue this point with the UK government. Simply blaming Westminster when they have the ability to stand up for Scotland is not good enough. I would therefore urge you to demand a LCM for this Bill and to use the Parliament’s powers over a motion to demand amendments. Such amendments should retain the powers of the Scottish Parliament to design Scottish pension schemes without interference from the Treasury. Yours sincerely,
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UNISON Scotland will save a copy of your message, and will only use your email address to contact you in relation to this online action. We will not share your details with anyone else.
Please only send one email for yourself to each of the MSPs who represent you.
This is not a spam email. We wish to let elected representatives know of genuine concerns felt by police staff and the communities they serve.

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Page updated: 8 November 2012