Although the media have been painfully silent in examining the Conservative policy of increasing the pension's gap, they haven't failed completely. Credit for tackling key election issues goes to 5 Live's Stephen Nolan, who as well as looking making a certain deputy leader look rather foolish, also raised the problem of pension's discrimination with Jeremy Hunt of the Conservatives.
Strangely, Hunt had little knowledge of his own party's policy to raise the state pension age for men to 66 whilst still letting women retire at 60. Despite this, Hunt still defended the policy, informing Nolan he was "absolutely sure we’re not discriminating against men but I don’t know the details".
Fortunately we do know the details of the Conservative policy on this site and we've even conducted the relevant financial calculations. In all, the Conservatives are going to take nine billion pounds away from men aged 65-66 and use the money to fund women's pensions. This will enable women to continue to retire far earlier men, despite the fact women also enjoy significantly longer life expectancies and have generally paid less into national insurance. Quite frankly about the only person who you'd expect to deny claims of sexism here is Harriet Harman herself.
In all fairness I suppose such discrimination isn't likely to have too much impact on men such as Mr Hunt given his £4.1 million wealth, though I'm sure even he'd appreciate he could buy nine hundred billion 1p phone calls with the money he's happy to deny men.
Strangely, Hunt had little knowledge of his own party's policy to raise the state pension age for men to 66 whilst still letting women retire at 60. Despite this, Hunt still defended the policy, informing Nolan he was "absolutely sure we’re not discriminating against men but I don’t know the details".
Fortunately we do know the details of the Conservative policy on this site and we've even conducted the relevant financial calculations. In all, the Conservatives are going to take nine billion pounds away from men aged 65-66 and use the money to fund women's pensions. This will enable women to continue to retire far earlier men, despite the fact women also enjoy significantly longer life expectancies and have generally paid less into national insurance. Quite frankly about the only person who you'd expect to deny claims of sexism here is Harriet Harman herself.
In all fairness I suppose such discrimination isn't likely to have too much impact on men such as Mr Hunt given his £4.1 million wealth, though I'm sure even he'd appreciate he could buy nine hundred billion 1p phone calls with the money he's happy to deny men.
It is amazing just how BLIND and stupid these politicians are. Every western country is whining about the great cost of the Aged. They continually shout about how we (men, that is) have to work years longer because more people (women, that is) are living years longer and longer and hanging about in aged-care homes until they turn to 110 year old dust. It will cost a fortune to pay for all the health care, they say.
Yet who gets penalised? Men, of course. AND THEY DENY IT !
Posted by: amfortas | Tuesday, 04 May 2010 at 15:06
Those now due for retirement...the 'baby boomers' have stripped every asset in their lifetimes due to vote for and paying low taxes. Should now the benifits they enjoyed be clawed back...free university, cheap water/power. £1 out of every £5 of council tax goes on pensions.
When I hear 'we paid our taxes', for 30 years nothing has been done to prepare for an aging population. Do they now expect the young to pay for them? When thier selfish lifestyles have left nothing but a dog eat dog world.
Shame on all of you.
Posted by: J Smith | Thursday, 06 May 2010 at 07:05
Well done TROM. Pensions are indeed an area of continued discrimination. The Conservatives need to be pushed on this. Not only is it so clealy unfair but it reveals the casual expectations that men shoulder society's burdens. It may not even be wrong that men do this but it is quite wrong that it is just assumed as "protected" groups get the benefit and still demand more. As you say feminists should be lining up to denounce this obvious sexism.
Posted by: Groan | Saturday, 08 May 2010 at 10:30
A cunsultation from the dept is out. Come on men make it clear that this in equity is not going un noticed.
Posted by: Groan | Friday, 25 June 2010 at 08:44