CHRIS Greenwell is right to ask what the main political parties intend to do for pensioners (HAS, Jan 22).

Before I set out our plans, let us remind ourselves how older people have fared under Labour.

First, we had Gordon Brown’s tax raid on pension funds; since then pensioners have faced post office closures on an unprecedented scale; the introduction of a 10p tax band; punitive levels of council and inheritance tax; being forced to sell their homes for care; mixed hospital wards and rising crime.

Here in Darlington, several months ago, the Labour-run council sought to withdraw concessionary bus fares. Talk about kicking someone when they’re down.

There are important, but practical, ways we can help improve pensioners’ quality of life: by reinvigorating a culture of savings; raising basic state pension in line with earnings; entitling every household up to £6,500 in energy efficiency improvements; expanding the role of the Post Office Card Account to enable direct debit payments on utility bills; introducing a home protection scheme (to end the desperate situation whereby older people are forced to sell their homes to pay for residential care) and a two-year council tax freeze for prudent councils.

Pensioners have earned their right to a fair deal. It’s about time they got it.

Edward Legard, Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Darlington.