I’ve been a ‘good boy’ and listened to her who must be obeyed! after 2 weeks of virtual house arrest, my operation recovery seems to be going to plan – well so far, the other issue of a serious torn tendon and ripped bicep can not at present be addressed.
So my 5 hours in town today I saw dozens of mainly well wishers, catching up with what’s happening.
Current MP Mr Steven Barclay was in town today, doing his pre-electioneering, and was engaging with a number of people outside the Co-Op when I caught up with him – as usual Steve Barclay was every pleasant and ‘convincing’ I did give him 3 questions.
1/ The Conservative/Coalition brought in raising the age for people to retire. In my wife’s case she lost out over £20,000 worth of pension as she will not be able to retire until she is nearly 65. (No answer) She worked for nearly 40 years expecting to retire at 60!
2/ We the ‘newish’ pensioners wishing for some respite in the governments austerity program look like we will loose out in the Winter Fuel allowance, I’ve only had one payment and doubt if I’ll see any more? (Means testing)
3/ My campaign for a ‘deposit scheme’ for Bottles/Cans/Plastics etc was not well looked at when I wrote him a letter early this year and posted on this site – we agreed to look into this further if/when he is re-elected. (To be continued)
I would have like to asked him about DLA/PIP below – but I’d had my 5 minutes!
1/ Those hundreds of thousands of people who were on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and now have to undergo an extremely intimidating process of application and interviews, have a rejection rate of over 60% but when it goes to an ‘Independent appeal’ over 80% have their cases overturned. There is something fundamentally wrong with the process.
Along with the vast ‘over spent’ the government have paid ‘Capita’ to oversee the process.
By the way I am not in receipt of either DLA or PIP (Personal Independence Payment).
2/ The vast amount (£Billions) on overseas aid – I have seen at first hand where ‘some’ of this money ends up and it is not to those for which it was intended?
So there you have my 5 minutes worth of stardom – I don’t who else may have asked Steve Barclays questions or what they were.
As ‘everyone’ knows I am always Fair and a little later met the Labour Group on the Market Place – their candidate Mr Ken Rustidge was equally pre-electioneering and I gave him the same questions and more or less got the same answers!!!!! – except for the winter fuel allowance which ‘Labour’ have said they would keep under its present criteria.
Mr Ken Rustidge 2nd from the left, tells me he from the Oldham area but lives nearby Spalding, after Whittlesey he was off to Wisbech.
Interestingly whilst SB was in town there were 2 Police Officers and 2 PCSO’s roaming about, when SB departed so did all the Policing – I am not making judgement just stating what I saw…..
