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.

 

2.6 Overseas Pensioners
2.6.1
Pensioners who go to live abroad get no annual uprating in their pensions at all, unless they live in another EC country or a country which has a reciprocal social security agreement.
This discrimination is inexcusable  Liberal Democrats would ensure that non-resident pensioners get the same uprating as resident 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.

A sample letter

The Editor
The Leicester Mercury
St George Street
Leicester LE1 9FQ
UK 

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.

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