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YOU can make a difference |
If you still have a vote -
MAKE IT COUNT.
If you no longer have one you can still make a difference - please read on.
The following extract
is from a Liberal Democrat policy document
"Retirement with Dignity"
Liberal Democrats Policies for Improving Pensioners Quality of Life.
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2.6 Overseas
Pensioners |
In the decade since
"Retirement with Dignity" was first published,
the Liberal Democrats have kept faith with us
and their pledge of support still holds good today.
Also see Letter from Lord Goodhart
Even if they fail to win at the next election the current political balance in the UK is such that they may well hold the balance of power. That would be sufficient to enable them to 'bargain' with major parties wishing to bulldoze controversial legislation through Parliament.
The next election is rapidly approaching. It could be well worthwhile telling friends and relatives at home about this profoundly honourable component of their policies. But hurry! A boost of votes for the Lib/Dems might just be enough to help them achieve this bargaining power.
If you still have a vote in the UK - make it count - vote Lib/Dem.
If you have friends and relatives in Britain ask them to do the same.
Also see Pensions lobby urges expats to back Lib Dems
Another suggestion
If you go to the following web site
http://www.newspapersoc.org.uk/home_page.html you will be able to find the
address of every newspaper in Britain. Take a look, find the local papers
for anywhere you have ever lived, write a 'letter to the editor' saying how you
used to live there but are now in Australia. Give them a bit of a story -
how much you loved that area, what you did & when & why you came to Australia. Then tell
them about FROZEN PENSIONS and about the Liberal Democrat policy on the issue.
Ask locals to consider voting for the Liberal Democrats as they are quite likely
to hold the balance of power in next year's election.
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The Editor Fax: 0011 44 116 2621981 |
The Editor Leicester Mail St George Street Leicester LE1 9FQ UK Fax:0011 44 116 262 4687 |
The Editor Leicestershire Times Today Springfield House 2 Millicent Road Nottingham NG2 7LD UK Fax: 0011 44 1159 9140808 |
Dear Sir
I left the Navy in 1949, after 6½
years, over 2 of them on Malta convoys, I went home to Leicester and lived for
some years in Barsby. I got a job as an Assistant Sales Manager in the carpet
department at Lewis's and was paid £6 a week.
At that time I also became a Scout Master with the Barsby group and for several
years took responsibility for the catering at camps, usually in the Quorn area.
After the traumas of the war it was an idyllic period of my life. But life
goes on. Lewis's promoted me to become an Assistant Sales Manager in
Selfridges. I got married and, after an interesting life, retired. My wife
learned that her brother, in Australia, was dying of cancer. We discussed
the situation and decided to emigrate to Australia in order to be of assistance
to his family, which included 4 children of school age. Unfortunately he
died before we eventually got through the formalities of emigration.
However we were able to help and have no regrets except that we discovered that
our British Age Pensions would be frozen for life because we chose to live out
our retirement in Australia.
At the time of our first entitlement to the Age Pension, for which each of us
had contributed for a full working life of 40+ years, the basic pension was
£46.90, today it is £79.60 - but not for us, we still get £46.90.
We have an election coming up in 2005, probably in June. Both the Labour and
Conservative parties have, when in opposition, promised to right this immoral
discrimination against British pensioners overseas - both when in power, have
reneged on their assurances.
Now, with the current dissatisfaction of the electorate with both the major
parties, may I please ask all voters to consider the Liberal Democratic Party.
They have issued a positive statement in their "Living with Dignity" policy to the effect that
they will abolish discrimination against British pensioners overseas. They
also hold a very strong position which could well result in their acquiring a
balance of power in Parliament.
If you are interested in learning more about the problems of British pensioners
overseas take a look at the web page of the British Australian Pensioner
Association at
www.britishpensions.org.au
Yours sincerely,
D. W.. (Full name followed by my full postal
and e-mail addresses)
PS. As I will be unable to watch your paper
from day to day I really would appreciate a note from you if you choose to
publish my letter. My e-mail address is ..........................
The above letter is 380 words, not unreasonable for a letter to a paper.