New Labour disregard local pensioners

9.00.00am GMT Thu 17th Feb 2005

In a letter to the newspapers coving the Forest of Dean, Chris Coleman has expressed his anger that New Labour have forgotten local pensioners with their gimmicky credit card size list of "pledges".

Local pensioners deserve much better

Tony Blair's New Labour chose last Friday to launch a credit card size list of "pledges", just as they have done for the last two elections. Local people may have been left wondering how many of these new pledges are going to be broken by New Labour this time.

I certainly shared that view. But what hit me more than that when I read the six pledges was the lack of any reference to what New Labour's intensions are for pensioners in this area.

My view is that not nearly enough has been done for pensioners locally. Many tell me that they struggle to survive on their pension, that they can't afford fees for personal care and have to make a choice between paying their Council Tax demand or putting the heating on.

Perhaps it should not surprise me that New Labour's flash credit card makes no reference to pensioners.

I believe that older people deserve much better. They deserve a fair deal.

Liberal Democrats have launched plans to increase pensions by up to £25 per week as a first move. We would introduce free personal care for the elderly to ensure that no one has to sell their home to pay for health care. And we would axe the Council Tax, which hits local people especially hard.

I believe that Liberal Democrat plans would make a big difference to the lives of pensioners across the Forest of Dean. They would mean more money in the pockets of thousands of pensioners in this area.

In advance of the next election, I hope that local people have the chance to review the failures and disappointments offered up by previous Conservative and New Labour governments and weigh them up against the positive and principled policies that the Liberal Democrats offer which will provide a real chance for a real change.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Coleman

Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for the Forest of Dean

To find out more about the Liberal Democrat fair deal pledge for pensioners, contact Chris Coleman or any of the Forest of Dean Liberal Democrats