Pensioners and older folk – a personal priority for me  

Older people deserve a better deal.  Folk who have contributed and saved all their working lives have a right to expect reliable local public services.  Means-testing our older residents for access to basic services doesn't seem fair to me. Speaking at a public meeting in Holland-on-Sea recently, I made it clear that I want to see a new government : 1.  Re-link the state pension to earnings.  2.  Help keep council tax down - the massive hike in council tax over the past decade, often engineered in Whitehall rather than the townhall, has hit pensioners hardest. 3.  Introduce a home protection scheme - it's wrong that older people are forced to sell their home to pay for their long term care when others get it all for nothing.  We need a system that allows people to plan their...