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Labour letting down NI's pensioners

"This Labour government is failing us all including pensioners - which it makes it all the more incredible that the DUP, and indeed the SDLP, keep supporting them"

Conservative and Unionist Campaign Director, Neil Johnston was speaking after a House of Commons entitled Tackling Pensioner Poverty was published today.

"Under Labour, pensioner poverty has remained stubbornly high. Figures show that the UK has the fourth highest rate of pensioner poverty in Europe, behind countries like Romania. Due to the complexity and bureaucracy of the Government's benefits system, 1.7 million pensioners - including many here in Northern Ireland - are not claiming the benefits to which they are entitled. And many pensioners are having to work for longer because Gordon Brown's £5 billion a year raid on private pensions."

"Many people in Northern Ireland - not just pensioners - are struggling to make ends meet at the moment, which makes the actions of many of our local MPs incredible."

"Earlier this month when Frank Field proposed that those who would be hit by the abolition of the 10p tax band should be compensated half the DUP MPs backed the government and half of them sat on their hands. Mark Durkan also sided with the government"

"When, in May the Conservatives suggested there be no increase in the TV licence fee this year not one MP from Northern Ireland turned up at Westminster to support us."

"By abstaining completely Sinn Fein MPs do a great disservice to their constituents by failing to defend their interests on these crucial matters and of course the majority of DUP and SDLPs are still 'double-jobbing' and only seem interested in attending to prop up Gordon Brown."

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