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Graham Wilson, NW Retired Members Secretary reports: Early in June I attended the National Pensioners Convention Parliament in Blackpool for the very first time and was surprised by the number of delagetes and the wide range of topics scheduled for discussion. VIP’s included Frank Cooper, President of the NPC; the Deputy Mayor of Blackpool, Tony Lee; Dot Gibson, General Secretary of the NPC; Rodney Bickerstaffe; Angela Eagle MP, Shadow Minister for Pensions; Ruth Marks, Commissioner for Older People in Wales; Dame Jo Williams of the Care Quality Commission; and others too numerous to mention. After a march in the pouring rain through the streets of Blackpool to the Winter Gardens an open question and answer session on the first afternoon was a lively affair and was followed on successive days by forum topics such as social care, free travel, the future of pensions, the aging society, housing as well as several others. The more sessions I attended the more convinced I became that there is a massive amount of campaigning, lobbying, debating and demonstrating to be done if the lot of pensioners, both present and those in the future, is to be improved. Quite apart from the headline parlous level of the State Pension the way we fund and treat people in need of social care is disgraceful. Mainly older people with dementia and Alzheimer’s should be provided for by the State without their loved ones and carers having to worry about how the care is to be paid for. It was said in the pensions forum and became increasingly obvious to me that the NPC needs to
become a mass movement able to speak authoratively on topics that affect older people. Until society as a whole becomes more aware of and sympathetic towards issues that affect everyone
sooner or later then political will to improve pensions and services will be lacking. To this end the NPC has launched individual membership at £5 per year or are selling Supporter’s Cards at £1 each. |
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