Chancellor must not wreck consensus on pensions, says Huhne

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 2nd Dec 2005

Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne today warned the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, against blocking pensions reform away from the means-tested model following this week's publication of the Turner report.

Mr Huhne said he would seek to question the Chancellor during Treasury Questions in the House of Commons next Thursday:

"The Turner report represents an unmissable opportunity to secure much-needed reform of Britain's complex and inadequate pensions system. Lord Turner has reflected a very broad national consensus by proposing a simpler and improved state pension, linked to earnings, rather than the current reliance on means-testing and complexity.

"The Prime Minister must not allow one man, Gordon Brown, to veto pensions reform. It is simply unthinkable that we could end up with 75% of pensioners on means-tested benefits, as Gordon Brown seems to think acceptable. In addition, the spread of means-testing can only erode incentives for private saving.

"On behalf of Eastleigh people I intend to question the Chancellor as to whether he will stand in the way of these essential reforms, in the interests of preserving the bewilderingly complex means-testing system he created — or whether he will stand up for a simpler and fairer pensions deal for all."

Related Link:

Executive Summary of the final Pension Commission report