Blair Must Answer For £3 Million Taken From Chesterfield Council Housing

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Feb 2007

Commenting on participating in the pensioners protest outside Parliament today, Paul Holmes, Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield said:

"The judicial review of the Government's refusal to accept the Ombudsman's report begins today with the Government threatening the pensioners who have brought the case with having to pay the Government's legal costs.

"This shocking bullying is typical of the Government's actions on pensions compensation.

"The Government has acted disgracefully in rejecting not only the Ombudsman's report, but also the European Court of Justice's judgement and the recommendations of the cross-party Public Administration Select Committee.

"The Government is guilty of turning its back on those, such as employees at Dema Glass, Coalite and Chesterfield Cylinders, who have worked hard to save for security in their retirement but lost their pensions when their employers went bust.

"The Government must urgently reconsider their action and fulfil their responsibility to compensate the victims of this gross pensions theft."