Mid Dorset and North Poole pensioners lobby Parliament

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 23rd Oct 2008

Annette Brooke MP meets with constituents lobbying Parliament

Annette Brooke, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, yesterday met with a sizeable delegation of pensioners from her constituency who attended the National Pensioners Convention lobby of Parliament. Dr Vincent Cable MP, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer was also present to meet with some of Annette's constituents.

Commenting after the lobby, Annette said:

'With fuel bills, water rates, council tax and even the cost of food and other basics increasing way beyond the pitiful rises in the basic state pension and pension credit, I will be pressing the government to introduce tougher market reforms and greater regulation of the energy companies, and do all I can for the pensioners in my constituency. In this day and age, no one should have to spend the winter worrying about whether they will be able to heat their home or afford to eat.'

Annette also highlighted to the delegation the fact that the Liberal Democrats have been calling for a restoration of the link between earnings and state pension. At Autumn Conference, the party passed a motion for a new "citizen's pension" to be created which would scrap means testing and re-establish the link to earnings. Annette said:

"We stand for a fair deal for all of our pensioners… We won't stand idly by while more pensioners struggle to make ends meet."