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John Leech MP Angered as Tories ignore Pensioners' Pleas
July 2, 2008 12:00 AM
Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington, John Leech, has condemned the Conservatives after they blocked an amendment by the Liberal Democrats that would have helped the elderly gain fairer pensions.
The Liberal Democrat amendment would have linked the state pension to earnings, not prices, by April 2012 at the latest. The Government opposed the amendment and Conservatives in the House of Lords abstained on a key vote, meaning that there is now no set date for the earnings link to be restored.
Commenting on the result, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesperson Lord Oakeshott said, "Conservative peers sat on their hands today when their votes would have forced the government to bring back the earnings link for pensions within 4 years."
Reacting angrily, John Leech MP said, "This latest refusal to help our pensioners, comes as a great disappointment to me. Times are already hitting our pensioners hard with the closure of post offices and the abolition of the 10p tax rate, and so this latest failure really does add insult to injury for our elderly."
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