Read our General Election Mini-Manifesto.

WE BELIEVE . . . that with regard to . . .

ANTI-HYPOCRISY: We are the anti-hypocrisy, anti-bureaucracy, anti-spin Party. We believe that all politicians should give straight answers to straight questions and keep their manifesto promises.

CRIME: Seniors should be given clear advice on how to protect themselves against crime and encouraged to join neighbourhood watch schemes. Immediate grants should be made available for security alarms and mini-CCTV systems for Seniors who have been the victims of crime.

CONCESSIONS: Seniors should be offered concessions in view of their lower income, especially where these can be offered on a “standby” or “end of line” basis ie whenever there surplus capacity for services or older products which have been upgraded. In particular restaurants should offer half-price smaller meals for senior citizens as they do in other countries.

HEALTH: Seniors should not be expected to wait an unreasonable time either to see a specialist or to receive appropriate treatment. If treatment cannot be provided locally they should be able to choose to be treated without delay anywhere in the UK or Mainland Europe at the expense of the NHS. All Seniors should be provided with free health checks and free sight, hearing and dental examinations.

ID CARDS: Seniors and disabled people should be provided with voluntary, biometric ID cards free of charge, to enable them to prove their identity and claim appropriate benefits and concessions. Legislation should prevent age discrimination in the provision of all goods, services and jobs.

LONG-TERM CARE: Good quality and affordable home care services and home adaptations should be provided to enable older people to remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible. All long-term care should be provided free of charge as in Scotland.

MEDIA: Seniors and disabled people should be provided with free TV licences and concessions on newspapers and magazines to allow those who are less mobile to continue to remain active and play an active part in the community.

PENSIONS: Seniors must be provided with fair and adequate pensions to enable them to enjoy their “Golden Years” without the need for demeaning and administratively expensive means-testing. The basic state pension should be raised to the level of the Guarantee Credit of £104.45 per week and be raised every year in line with average earnings. Serious consideration should be given to the provision of a non-contributory "Citizens Pension" as in New Zealand.

TAXATION: Taxation must be simple, fair, and be seen to be fair to all citizens. It is unacceptable that wealthy people should be able to avoid tax, thereby penalising all other taxpayers. All senior citizens should be entitled to a personal allowance of £10,000 per year (or 50% of the average wage) which should be aggregated for husband and wife. Means-tested benefits would then ben unnecessary. The Council Tax should be abolished and replaced with the system that takes full account of people's ability to pay such as a Local Income Tax.

TRANSPORT: A nationwide travel scheme should be introduced that enables Seniors and disabled people to travel on all buses, coaches, ferries, trams, tube/metro and trains free of charge outside the rush hours (as already exists in London and is proposed for Scotland and Wales).

Grahame Leon-Smith, Party Leader : : : : April 2005

NB These are in alphabetical order, not in order of priority, and represent the major concerns that have been expressed to us by other Seniors.

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