By Jess Staufenberg
Brighton’s politically engaged over-55s attended a heated hustings last night to question party candidates over policies affecting older people ahead of the next general election.
The hustings was organised by the National Pensioners’ Convention and the panel included the organisation’s general secretary Dot Gibson.
She was joined by Clarence Mitchell, the Conservative candidate for Brighton Pavilion, Nancy Platts, Labour candidate for Brighton Kemptown, and Davy Jones, Green candidate for Brighton Kemptown.
Paul Chandler, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Brighton Kemptown, and Hove UKIP candidate Clive Hickman were not invited.
They were told that this was because their parties have no councillors in Brighton and Hove but Mr Chandler was given time to speak from the floor.
Each speaker set out their stall to a responsive audience and took questions on a range of issues.
Mrs Gibson began: “There is everything to be fought for before the next general election.
“This is not just for today’s pensioners but for future pensioners – our children and our grandchildren. Goodness knows how long the child in the pram will have to work.”
Mrs Gibson called the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) scheme a fraud, saying that the National Insurance Fund should suffice and the proposed single-tier pension will amount to less than the full state pension.
Nancy Platts said that 1.6 million pensioners living in poverty was a national scandal with many describing themselves as “surviving”.
Ms Platts said: “Too many pensioners are choosing between heating and eating. We need a strong voice fighting the energy companies.”
Clarence Mitchell said that his party had protected pensioners who “play by the rules” as shown by the scrapping of fuel duty rise, the “triple lock” guarantee, new single ISAs, pensioner bonds and more.
The triple lock guarantee was brought in by the coalition government four years ago. It was aimed at ensuring the state pension rises each year by the rate of inflation, average earnings or 2.5 per cent, whichever is higher.
Mr Mitchell said: “I do feel there are improvements to be made to the triple lock system but we’re not just for pensioners, we’re on the pulse of the whole country.
“We cannot just pour money at this.”
Mr Jones said that all the major parties supported austerity and that pensioners contributed £45 billion in taxes last year alongside unpaid care work.
