Paul Holmes

Liberal Democrats | Chesterfield

Holmes - Chancellor Must Not Be Allowed To Break Pensions Consensus

Paul Holmes, MP for Chesterfield and Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party, today warned the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, against blocking pensions reform away from the means-tested model following this week’s publication of the Turner report.

Paul Holmes said he would seek to question the Chancellor during Treasury Questions in the House of Commons next Thursday:

“The Turner report represents an unmissable opportunity to secure much-needed reform of Britain's complex and inadequate pensions system. Lord Turner has reflected a very broad national consensus by proposing a simpler and improved state pension, linked to earnings, rather than the current reliance on means-testing and complexity.

“The Prime Minister must not allow one man, Gordon Brown, to veto pensions reform. It is simply unthinkable that we could end up with 75% of pensioners on means-tested benefits, as Gordon Brown seems to think acceptable. In addition, the spread of means-testing can only erode incentives for private saving.

“On behalf of people in Chesterfield I intend to question the Chancellor as to whether he will stand in the way of these essential reforms, in the interests of preserving the bewilderingly complex means-testing system he created — or whether he will stand up for a simpler and fairer pensions deal for all.”