G20 and Gordon puts his pay rise on hold.

I need to go and have a lie down. I’ve just discovered there is something I agree with, with our beleaguered prime minister. He is not taking his and neither are his cabinet taking their pay increases. I hope all MPs will follow this lead but I’m not holding my breath. Gordon has said on many occasions that we should not reward failure. He was referring to bank bonuses in the main but it equally applies to politicians and I guess this is about as close as we are going to get of him admitting his part in the collapse of our economy. With the G20 in town this week I have to ask the question why here? It will be costing us the British taxpayer millions to put this on. Gordon already spent goodness knows how much travelling the world trying to drum up support for his plan (if that is the right word) without much success as far as I can see. Mr Sarkosy and Ms Merkle are having a moody and threatening to walk out. Typical of the French why are you bothering Gordon let em go. Gordon does seem more on top of things these days and all this buddying up to Barack is bound to rub off.
We have a national debt which I doubt my grandkids will ever pay off yet we carry on spending. We have a planned budget in a few weeks yet listening to Alistair Darling at the week end laying out his plans to help our recovery he claimed that the government had increased pensions. This is typical of Brown attitude to pensions. Yes pensions have been increased but only in line with inflation which is what normally happens. The 60quid extra did little to help any of us. I’m sitting on mine writing this tosh. Doesn’t look like we are going to get any help with savings now they are worthless in terms of taking income from them. I hear pensioners were outside the Bank of England protesting. I did agree with having the right to protest but not using violence in the way some elements did.

I did a google search from March 2005 just before the election when the following appeared on my MP’s blog site. Under the headline

Are you reading this Bob?!

"The Chancellor announced that every council tax paying pensioner household will receive £200 on top of the existing winter fuel allowance of £200. There are 12,980 pensioner households in West Bromwich East - nearly a third of all homes.
I think that at least deserves a couple of verses."

He dropped the scheme at the next budget alienating 12980 homes in West Brom East.
Excuse me for asking Tom but isn’t that close to your majority?

My poem to celebrate that windfall read:-
You asked for it!
As pensioner champion I went to see Tom,
its important he knows where were coming from.
The Tory policy it just cannot be real,
but the Lib Dems case as some appeal.

Toms hot on the phone to Chancellor Brown,
please dear Gordon stop acting the clown.
Give my pensioners a break on council tax,
he repeated the plea on email and fax.

I’m sorry I have to keep making a fuss,
now all UK pensioners get a free ride on the bus
There are four key issues which can’t be ignored,
at this point most politicians seem to get bored.

A fair pension for all is what we seek,
when do we want it? well this week!
No more pensioner credits they’re just a joke,
the way they are run don’t help the old folk.

Base local taxes on ability to pay,
see the Lib Dems they’re leading the way.
make average earnings our index linking,
we’ll all vote labour without even blinking.


I know the recession is affecting everyone but I get the feeling that he thinks pensioners are in some way immune to what is happening. Not so Gordon. Please wake up mate and start to put things right with basic state pensions, the pension protection fund and financial assistance scheme. They all need urgent help now.