IT was interesting to read in the BEN the different reaction of Terry Lewis MP and Ruth Kelly MP, to the Government White Paper on pensions etc.

I was on the side of Terry. As a political activist in the past I met many MPs. I always considered the best ones were those who supported their party when it mattered but were happy to criticise policy in a constructive matter when policy was wrong or could be strengthened. Ruth seems to see her duty as defending the government policy enthusiastically on all occasions. I will respect her more the first time I read that she is unhappy with some aspect of government action.

Not that I disagree that people who can afford to do so should save for their retirement days. That is exactly what national insurance is about. We pensioners do not get a government hand-out. We paid for our pensions but what happened to the policy of a national insurance fund to be invested to make money for pensions? Instead, contributions were spent as we went along and our future squandered. National insurance is the way forward. The suggested scheme will take money from the fairly poor and give it to the very poor and people unwilling to provide for their future.

Incidentally, I recently received a letter from the Labour Party congratulating me on joining the party. I joined on November 8 1935. "Good", I thought. They are catching up with their correspondence. On second thoughts, I realised that the old Labour Party I joined was not the same as New Labour.

I have been a paid up member for 63 years. How much longer shall I want to remain a member, I sometimes wonder?

GK Brown

Barncroft Road, Farnworth

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.