Chorley voters have been writing to me to ask that I pledge support for issues that are of particular concern to them. So that they are on the record for all voters, I am posting my response on some of the key issues here, on my blog:
Women Against State Pension Inequality
Let me assure you that I fully support the campaign to fight against Women's State Pension Inequality.
This is a campaign that the Socialist Party, one of the constituent parts of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, of which I am also a member, has been fighting on for many years. Unlike the establishment politicians, our candidates are trade unionists and community campaigners working with others, like you, to challenge injustice and inequality.
For example, this recent article from one of our National Pensioners’ Convention activists was written to draw attention to the issues you raise: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/122866/27-03-2024/waspi-women-win-now-pay-up/
As Clare says in the article the idea that compensation for this discrimination should depend on being ‘fair to taxpayers’ displays the callousness of the establishment politicians of all the main parties who will put the demands placed on them by the financiers above justice for women pensioners.
That's why I am standing for election to be a worker's MP who, unlike the current Speaker - bound by supposed ‘impartiality' - is prepared to both speak out on this issue and to use the platform of Parliament to speak out and help build the protest and pressure that will be required to force the next Chancellor to pay up, sadly whether that will be from either Labour or the Conservatives.
TUSC and the Socialist Party also campaigns for pensions justice for all - both those already retired and those who are yet to do so. As a member of the NUT (now NEU) National Executive, I campaigned against the worsening of public sector pensions imposed a decade ago. For example, see: https://www.mpdnut.com/2013/10/october-17-determined-angry-and.html
As you rightly say, there is always money for war, but apparently not for pensions, the NHS, housing, pay and all the other pressing concerns ordinary workers face.
I believe that a country as wealthy as Britain can afford to make sure that those that really created that wealth - working people - are able to live to a decent living standard after they finish working - and to take their pension at an age when they can still enjoy that retirement as well. However, that will only happen if we challenge - and reverse - the way wealth has been transferred from the working-class to the wealthy for many decades now.
Our key demands include:
* Reduce the state retirement and pension age to 55.
* For decent living pensions, linked to inflation
We also campaign for action to close the gender pension gap, as set out in this article by another Socialist Party member once on the NUT National Executive with me, Jane Nellist:
I hope these points show that I would be a trade unionist and socialist MP who will actively campaign on your concerns, and the other key concerns of Chorley workers.
Martin Powell-Davies
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Candidate for Chorley
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