An argument about women’s pension reform at Medway Council’s full council meeting prompted calls for Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst to resign from an all-party committee in Westminster.

Members of Medway WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) were at the meeting at the St George’s Centre, Chatham Maritime, on Thursday evening to highlight what they see as injustices inflicted by the Pension Act on women born in Britain after April 6, 1951.

Government changes saw women born after the date lose up to £40,000 from their pensions – prompting campaigners to push for further reform.

A motion for the council to call upon the government to reconsider was put forward by Cllr Teresa Murray (Lab).

It mentioned that Cllr Kelly Tolhurst was a member of the all-party Parliamentary group for WASPI.

Cllr Tolhurst, MP for Rochester and Strood, said she sympathised with the campaign but would not support the motion.

She said: “It has no relation to local government, only central.

“I do support them [the WASPI campaign] and will represent them in government where it belongs.”

Medway Labour group leader Cllr Vince Maple said: “Medway Labour have to tackle national issues because Medway’s three MPs aren’t. The fact that every single hand will not be going up to support this motion is extremely disappointing.”

Cllr Maple then called for Cllr Tolhurst to resign from the parliamentary group. The motion was defeated.

WASPI campaigners are now launching a legal challenge against the government.

The activists have instructed Bindmans, a London law firm, to act on their behalf to challenge the legislation. To fund the challenge, the group has set up a crowdfunding page.

Medway WASPI activist, Flick Foreman added: “Now is the time for action. It is sad that it has come to a legal challenge because this could have been resolved so easily.

"But, let me be clear: our fight is about justice and we will not rest until we succeed.”