duncanblog270611

In this together?

June 27th, 2011

The phrase ‘we are all in this together’ always rang a little hollow when uttered by the Tory millionaires who cheered George Osbourne as he announced cut after cut.

Those of us who were sceptical of the Tory Government’s commitment to the most vulnerable quickly had our fears confirmed.

But anyone harbouring delusions that the Tories had changed would have been left in no doubt this week.

More than a thousand women in Inverclyde within an inch of their retirement had their pension pot grasped away from them by the callous reforms introduced by the Coalition at Westminster.

Without warning or time to plan for the changes, working women in their fifties had the rug pulled from under them and were told to keep on working.

It is clear that with an ageing and healthier population, the country’s retirement plans had to be gradually adjusted to take account these changes.

But the shabby way that women have been treated by implementing these reforms too deep and too fast is a national disgrace.

These are the same Tories who are cutting housing benefit for 3,000 pensioners and another thousand low-paid workers in Inverclyde.

And putting lives in danger by closing our coastguard centre against the advice of the maritime industry, the trade unions and now Westminster’s own Transport Committee.

It is clear that the Tories haven’t changed, they still don’t care about the most vulnerable in society and that people in this community are suffering as a result.

But that doesn’t mean we have to accept it – we have an opportunity on Thursday to send a message to David Cameron that he should think again.

Inverclyde needs a strong local voice to stand up for us and I am backing Iain McKenzie to take the fight to the Tories should he be our MP after polling day on Thursday.