HARD-PRESSED pensioners have, it seems, a new champion in Mr James Airey, the Conservative Party prospective parliamentary candidate for Morecambe and Lunesdale.

In a leaflet to introduce him in the run-up to the next election, Mr Airey (pictured) describes the treatment received by pensioners under the Labour Government as scandalous and says that senior citizens are the forgotten members of society.

He declares that he will fight to restore the link between wages and pensions. I am sure older people will be heartened. Strangely, though, Mr Airey fails to mention in the leaflet that it was the Tories, under Mrs Thatcher, who axed the link between pensions and earnings and instead linked pensions to inflation which through skilful and convenient assessment has stayed relatively low for years.

This has left pensioners in this country, the fourth richest in the world, with probably the worst pensions in modern Europe.

Mr Airey may have a short memory but many pension-ers do not. And his decision to fight to restore the link may also surprise Tory HQ, as I am not aware that this if official party policy.

I believe pensioners will draw their own conclusions.

G R Yates, Morecambe.