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August 3rd...............Jim Parker in Glenrothes
August 1st...............John Swinburne in Central Scotland
July 3rd..............John Swinburne in Central Scotland
John Swinburne
June 16th............Jimmy Deuchars in Glasgow
Father gassed his children 'to spite wife'
By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter, and Nigel Bunyan
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 16/06/2008
Grandparents Apart UK
0141 882 5658
www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
June 11th.............George Henderson in Edinburgh
March 30th. Andy Anderson in Forres........
August 3rd...............Jim Parker in Glenrothes
I bow to no one in my respect for John; however, it really is high time we agreed on policies we can present to the public, rather than relying on one member's 'off-the-cuff' opinions.
John's recent call for re-nationalistaion of the gas (or any) industry
fills me with dread. Nationalisation destroyed virtually all our main
industries; and a return to such a failed approach would be disastrous
(in my opinion).
However, we are a political party; and as such we should be bound by the views of the majority. So. let's have some debate, leading to agreed policies, which we can present to voters.
John's recent call for re-nationalistaion of the gas (or any) industry
fills me with dread. Nationalisation destroyed virtually all our main
industries; and a return to such a failed approach would be disastrous
(in my opinion).
However, we are a political party; and as such we should be bound by the views of the majority. So. let's have some debate, leading to agreed policies, which we can present to voters.
August 1st...............John Swinburne in Central Scotland
The Daily Record ran a double page spread on the 35% increase in gas prices by Scottish Gas on Friday 1st August.Centrica the owners of Scottish Gas earn around £2.5million per day. They say that this increase was due to the fact that their profits had dropped by 20% to £992million in the first half of this year.Their article carried various quotes from charity groups and also Malcolm Wicks who refused pointblank to be critical of Centrica.I was contacted for my opinion and they used the following :-
July 11th............... Jimmy Deuchars in GlasgowIt took the Scottish Senior Citizens' Unity Party to call on the Government to renationalise the energy companies. Leader and former MSP John Swinburne said,
"The only way out of this mess is to renationalise the energy companies,so that all these profits are ploughed back into public services.If they cannot reduce the costs to low-income families and pensioners then they (the Government) must take action. They are playing with people's lives.There is no doubt that this will put lives at risk. More than 15,000 pensioners died of winter related illnesses between 2000 and 2006.Heaven knows what it is going to be like this year with price increases that no one can afford.How can British Gas justify these huge increases?It is absolutely shocking."
"The only way out of this mess is to renationalise the energy companies,so that all these profits are ploughed back into public services.If they cannot reduce the costs to low-income families and pensioners then they (the Government) must take action. They are playing with people's lives.There is no doubt that this will put lives at risk. More than 15,000 pensioners died of winter related illnesses between 2000 and 2006.Heaven knows what it is going to be like this year with price increases that no one can afford.How can British Gas justify these huge increases?It is absolutely shocking."
Grandparents and older people.......We need a party that will work just for your benefit!!
Is the Political Party that was voted in honouring its manifesto?
How many times have you heard the promises from the different political parties about what they will do for you when they are looking for your vote?
How many times has it fallen through with feeble excuses?
The changes SNP promised you have fallen through. Why? Because Alex Salmond is a lawyer and would know the promises would be nullified by the courts. The central heating programme is cancelled.
David Cameron says it is ‘all our own fault’ if we are poor. The Scottish MSPs ignored a question put to them about families and only answered when they were shamed into it.
Labour is not interested in allowing grandparents contact to protect their own grandchildren.
Can you honestly name anything really positive that any of them have done for grandparents and older people?
Waken up- You are being taken for a ride.
Waken up- to the false promises that are not manifest, just to get your vote.
July 8th.............Pat Lally in Glasgow
Is the Political Party that was voted in honouring its manifesto?
How many times have you heard the promises from the different political parties about what they will do for you when they are looking for your vote?
How many times has it fallen through with feeble excuses?
The changes SNP promised you have fallen through. Why? Because Alex Salmond is a lawyer and would know the promises would be nullified by the courts. The central heating programme is cancelled.
David Cameron says it is ‘all our own fault’ if we are poor. The Scottish MSPs ignored a question put to them about families and only answered when they were shamed into it.
Labour is not interested in allowing grandparents contact to protect their own grandchildren.
Can you honestly name anything really positive that any of them have done for grandparents and older people?
Waken up- You are being taken for a ride.
Waken up- to the false promises that are not manifest, just to get your vote.
July 8th.............Pat Lally in Glasgow
BY-ELECTIONS
There are two by-elections in the offing, one in Glasgow for a new M.P.for our National Government and one at the end of the year for a new M.S.P.for Holyrood to replace Jack McConnell who intends to give up his seat representing Central Region around that time.
It should come as no surprise that a party representing senior citizens is strapped for cash so what should we do? The time scale for the Glasgow seat is so tight that only the big parties can make a real fight of it within the time table allowed. I am sure that in the circumstances we should concentrate our fire on the Central Region where our Leader John Swinburne previously held a seat until he was the victim of the General election screw up which cost him his seat.That is of course unless some generous benefactor is willing to make a large enough donation to enable us to fight the Glasgow seat as well. So how about it you wealthy people with Charitable trust funds, why not do something to help our less fortunate senior citizens? Sadly we can’t promise you a peerage!!!
There are two by-elections in the offing, one in Glasgow for a new M.P.for our National Government and one at the end of the year for a new M.S.P.for Holyrood to replace Jack McConnell who intends to give up his seat representing Central Region around that time.
It should come as no surprise that a party representing senior citizens is strapped for cash so what should we do? The time scale for the Glasgow seat is so tight that only the big parties can make a real fight of it within the time table allowed. I am sure that in the circumstances we should concentrate our fire on the Central Region where our Leader John Swinburne previously held a seat until he was the victim of the General election screw up which cost him his seat.That is of course unless some generous benefactor is willing to make a large enough donation to enable us to fight the Glasgow seat as well. So how about it you wealthy people with Charitable trust funds, why not do something to help our less fortunate senior citizens? Sadly we can’t promise you a peerage!!!
July 3rd..............John Swinburne in Central Scotland
Many people are of the opinion that our Party is a single issue party and nothing could be further from the truth. Yes we do concentrate on 'Senior Issues' because that is our main reason for getting involved in politics in the first place. However, I quickly discovered during my four year term in Holyrood that even if an issue is being debated which does not directly concern our generation ,there will certainly be many aspects of the debate which will involve either our children or grandchildren.
I am proud of the fact that my attendance record during all of the plenary sessions in the debating chamber was second to none and it was in fact actually 93% of all the debates over the four year period from 2003 to 2007.As you all know there are 129 MSPs and the only time that most of them turn up in the debating chamber is at First Minister's Question Time and at Decision Time at 5pm when all debated issues are voted upon.The average attendance overall at other times is a mere 25% of members (and that is on a good day) All too often there are only 14 or 15 MSPs in the debating chamber and that in my opinion is a sad spin off from Westminster.
My solution which I mentioned in one of my first contributions in a debate after asking the deputy Presiding Officer what exactly constitutued a quorum in our Scottish Parliament to which he responded "Why?"
My solution which I mentioned in one of my first contributions in a debate after asking the deputy Presiding Officer what exactly constitutued a quorum in our Scottish Parliament to which he responded "Why?"
"Because," I responded, "There are only 14 MSPs here."
"We do not have a Quorum," he replied.My answer was-
"It is high time that we had time clocks inside the debating chamber and made all MSPs clock in and clock out and pay them according to their attendance in the debating chamber!"As you can imagine this fell on deaf ears and was never taken forward.
"We do not have a Quorum," he replied.My answer was-
"It is high time that we had time clocks inside the debating chamber and made all MSPs clock in and clock out and pay them according to their attendance in the debating chamber!"As you can imagine this fell on deaf ears and was never taken forward.
To let you understand, at Decision Time, MSPs come flooding into the Chamber and as they take their seats the party whips give them a sheet of paper which gives them their voting instructions e.g. :- Motion 1 Vote Yes; Motion 2 Vote No; Motion 3 Vote Yes;
Amendment 1 to motion 4 Vote No... etc etc.
The 'voting fodder' simply blindly follow the instructions of their party whips despite having been absent from all the debates on the day. OK so I know that all members can sit in their office and listen in on all debates but in reality they SHOULD participate on the floor of the house and it is a sad reflection on democracy that this state of affairs is condoned at the highest level in all other parties.This is something that the Standards Committee should consider.....
So there you are- take it from me- The SSCUP is far from being a single issue Party and no matter what the agenda is in any debate our party will always be able to contribute in a very positive manner. We are also more able than most to make valuable contributions to any debate because at some time or other during our lives we will have had experience of most situations and we can be depended upon to give good advice on the vast majority of issues.
Amendment 1 to motion 4 Vote No... etc etc.
The 'voting fodder' simply blindly follow the instructions of their party whips despite having been absent from all the debates on the day. OK so I know that all members can sit in their office and listen in on all debates but in reality they SHOULD participate on the floor of the house and it is a sad reflection on democracy that this state of affairs is condoned at the highest level in all other parties.This is something that the Standards Committee should consider.....
So there you are- take it from me- The SSCUP is far from being a single issue Party and no matter what the agenda is in any debate our party will always be able to contribute in a very positive manner. We are also more able than most to make valuable contributions to any debate because at some time or other during our lives we will have had experience of most situations and we can be depended upon to give good advice on the vast majority of issues.
John Swinburne
June 16th............Jimmy Deuchars in Glasgow
Father gassed his children 'to spite wife'
By Gordon Rayner, Chief Reporter, and Nigel Bunyan
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 16/06/2008
How many more fathers and children are to die in situations like this, as well as the suicides by fathers and grandparents before the governments allow equal parenting.When a couple have children it is a union that no one should interfere in unless there is violence present. If there are problems Family Information & Education Centres should be available for families to have access to mediation and counseling without the interference of the government’s administrative one sided interpretation of family laws.
The governments claim family law is fair and just but they are hiding their head in the sand ignoring what is happening, not wanting to admit their family law administration has failed them and is badly in need of retraining in the real best interests of the child. The governments are so naïve to think these people could work without supervision. Human nature dictates people always go for the way that suits them best.
Money is the root of family law problems. Lawyers fill their pockets on cases that are nearly always doomed to failure because of the system. Social services lie, cheat, invent meetings that have never taken place. Snatch children and groom them for adoption to earn bonuses because it is less costly than working with families to help sort out their problems. At what cost, is it in human lives?
Every decent mother father and grandparents are heartbroken at this latest tragedy which the governments could avoid with equal parenting and not creating one sided dictators over children which are even above the law itself.
The major children’s charities (Shame on them always asking for money when they will not do their job properly, that is work for the best interests of children) They must shoulder a lot of the blame when they do not speak up to condemn the failure of our government’s handling of the family law administration fiasco.
There must be and end to these terrible tragedies. The governments must get off their high horses and listen to the people and not treat them as idiots like they do.
People are getting desperate and more and more demonstration will be common place and who can really blame them when the governments refuse to listen.?
Jimmy DeucharsThe governments claim family law is fair and just but they are hiding their head in the sand ignoring what is happening, not wanting to admit their family law administration has failed them and is badly in need of retraining in the real best interests of the child. The governments are so naïve to think these people could work without supervision. Human nature dictates people always go for the way that suits them best.
Money is the root of family law problems. Lawyers fill their pockets on cases that are nearly always doomed to failure because of the system. Social services lie, cheat, invent meetings that have never taken place. Snatch children and groom them for adoption to earn bonuses because it is less costly than working with families to help sort out their problems. At what cost, is it in human lives?
Every decent mother father and grandparents are heartbroken at this latest tragedy which the governments could avoid with equal parenting and not creating one sided dictators over children which are even above the law itself.
The major children’s charities (Shame on them always asking for money when they will not do their job properly, that is work for the best interests of children) They must shoulder a lot of the blame when they do not speak up to condemn the failure of our government’s handling of the family law administration fiasco.
There must be and end to these terrible tragedies. The governments must get off their high horses and listen to the people and not treat them as idiots like they do.
People are getting desperate and more and more demonstration will be common place and who can really blame them when the governments refuse to listen.?
Grandparents Apart UK
0141 882 5658
www.grandparentsapart.co.uk
June 11th.............George Henderson in Edinburgh
Hi Colleagues
Two Thousand leading members of Britain's growing Grey Power movement gathered in Blackpool to make their voices heard to mark 100 years of the state pension with demands to Government to end poverty by raising the state pension of £90.70 above the poverty line of £134 a week and restore its link with earnings before 2012.
Try this link to view photos
Best wishes
Keep Right On
George Henderson
NPC Press Release
Government criticised for failing to act as new figures show shocking rise in pensioner poverty
Britain’s biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), has today criticised the government for failing to tackle the growing problem of pensioner poverty.
The latest figures from the Households Below Average Income report published today show that in the last year, an extra 300,000 pensioners fell below the official poverty line, bringing the total number to 2.5m (23% of the pensioner population).
This represents the highest figure since 2003/4. The NPC believes this increase is largely due to rising food, fuel and other household bills in relation to the continued decline in the purchasing power of the basic state pension, which is currently just £90.70 a week. This compares to the official poverty figure for a single pensioner of £151 a week before housing costs.
Dot Gibson, NPC vice president, who attended the official launch of the report today, said: “It is a shocking indictment of the government’s pensions’ policy, that the number of older people in poverty is higher now than five years ago. For years ministers have relied on both means-tested benefits and the availability of company pension schemes to provide a decent income in retirement – but the whole basis of this strategy is unravelling. Means-testing remains inefficient and unpopular and most pensioners receive less than £2000 a year from their occupational pensions. In light of the current increases in the costs of living – pensioners simply cannot afford to survive.”
“The government has said it will restore the link between the state pension and earnings in 2012, but by that time around three million of today’s pensioners will be dead – and the pension’s purchasing power will have continued to fall. The link with earnings will therefore only provide an extra £1.40 a week more in 2012 than pensioners would have got anyway under the present system. This is simply too little, too late.”
“It is completely unacceptable that in the centenary year of the first ever state pension, millions of older people are still living in poverty. If a society is judged by how it treats its older citizens, then we are seriously failing. Pensioners don’t want charity – they have earned the right to a decent state pension that is set above the poverty level and rises each year in line with earnings. It is time the government realised that older people deserve better.”
For more information contact Neil Duncan-Jordan on 07940-357-608
Pension facts & figures - then & now
1908
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Two Thousand leading members of Britain's growing Grey Power movement gathered in Blackpool to make their voices heard to mark 100 years of the state pension with demands to Government to end poverty by raising the state pension of £90.70 above the poverty line of £134 a week and restore its link with earnings before 2012.
Try this link to view photos
Best wishes
Keep Right On
George Henderson
NPC Press Release
Government criticised for failing to act as new figures show shocking rise in pensioner poverty
Britain’s biggest pensioner organisation, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), has today criticised the government for failing to tackle the growing problem of pensioner poverty.
The latest figures from the Households Below Average Income report published today show that in the last year, an extra 300,000 pensioners fell below the official poverty line, bringing the total number to 2.5m (23% of the pensioner population).
This represents the highest figure since 2003/4. The NPC believes this increase is largely due to rising food, fuel and other household bills in relation to the continued decline in the purchasing power of the basic state pension, which is currently just £90.70 a week. This compares to the official poverty figure for a single pensioner of £151 a week before housing costs.
Dot Gibson, NPC vice president, who attended the official launch of the report today, said: “It is a shocking indictment of the government’s pensions’ policy, that the number of older people in poverty is higher now than five years ago. For years ministers have relied on both means-tested benefits and the availability of company pension schemes to provide a decent income in retirement – but the whole basis of this strategy is unravelling. Means-testing remains inefficient and unpopular and most pensioners receive less than £2000 a year from their occupational pensions. In light of the current increases in the costs of living – pensioners simply cannot afford to survive.”
“The government has said it will restore the link between the state pension and earnings in 2012, but by that time around three million of today’s pensioners will be dead – and the pension’s purchasing power will have continued to fall. The link with earnings will therefore only provide an extra £1.40 a week more in 2012 than pensioners would have got anyway under the present system. This is simply too little, too late.”
“It is completely unacceptable that in the centenary year of the first ever state pension, millions of older people are still living in poverty. If a society is judged by how it treats its older citizens, then we are seriously failing. Pensioners don’t want charity – they have earned the right to a decent state pension that is set above the poverty level and rises each year in line with earnings. It is time the government realised that older people deserve better.”
For more information contact Neil Duncan-Jordan on 07940-357-608
Pension facts & figures - then & now
1908
- Non-contributory pension
- Payable to men and women at 70
- 5 shillings a week: represented between 20-25% of average earnings
- Means-tested and based on character
- Contributory pension
- Payable to men and women at 65 in 2024 and rising to 68 by 2044
- £90.70 a week: represents around 15% of average earnings
- Pension not means-tested, but means-testing still exists for those who need additional income
- One in five of today's 11m pensioners live below the official poverty line, the vast majority of them women. In 1891, 1.3m people were classed as paupers – of which 31% were over 60-years-old
- The National Insurance Fund currently has a surplus of £46bn, which is forecast to grow to £114bn by 2012. This money is primarily intended to pay for state pensions, but today’s pensioners are being denied a higher pension because the government is using the money to fund other expenditure
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May 8th..........Jimmy Deuchars in Glasgow
Dear Mr MacAskill,
You said. Re- Kenny MacAskill: No. The Charter for Grandchildren was designed as a non-legislative document to complement the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006.
We cannot for the life of us understand how you can turn your back on The Forgotten Children in drug and alcohol homes where children are trapped neglected and abused.
Grandparents with their unique insight into their own family's problems are refused contact that would be for the welfare of the children. Contact for early intervention and to spot children being neglected or abused in danger homes. The major children's charities claim they can only handle half the calls from children in distress, what happens to the other half?
Contact that is required is for a couple of hours a month if geography permits. The right to send/receive cards, letters, texts, emails, phone calls as a lifeline to a person that cares about them and fills the gap that other agencies cannot. Is this too much to ask?
The Charter for Grandchildren was created with our input to accompany the 2006 Family Law Bill but we are claiming it is being ignored by professionals who are told about it and it has no bite whatsoever in family disputes. The publicity and push that was promised from the government has done nothing in letting the public know of its availability. We have been the only group to promote The Charter and The Parenting Agreement but we are a small voluntary group with very limited funds.
However, we have just been awarded a £10,000 Big Lottery Grant (investing in ideas). The idea is we now have a Mobile Family Information and Education Centre and the grant is to develop it further. We will be attending shows, shopping centres etc to promote The Charter and Parenting Agreement that the government has failed to do. We could now be doing with some help from you as Justice Minister in giving The Charter and Parenting Agreement more clout for it to be effective as it was intended to be.
Jimmy Deuchars,
Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland,
22 Alness Crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ.
**more from Jimmy in our on-line magazine coming SOON!!!
Dear Mr MacAskill,
You said. Re- Kenny MacAskill: No. The Charter for Grandchildren was designed as a non-legislative document to complement the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006.
We cannot for the life of us understand how you can turn your back on The Forgotten Children in drug and alcohol homes where children are trapped neglected and abused.
Grandparents with their unique insight into their own family's problems are refused contact that would be for the welfare of the children. Contact for early intervention and to spot children being neglected or abused in danger homes. The major children's charities claim they can only handle half the calls from children in distress, what happens to the other half?
Contact that is required is for a couple of hours a month if geography permits. The right to send/receive cards, letters, texts, emails, phone calls as a lifeline to a person that cares about them and fills the gap that other agencies cannot. Is this too much to ask?
The Charter for Grandchildren was created with our input to accompany the 2006 Family Law Bill but we are claiming it is being ignored by professionals who are told about it and it has no bite whatsoever in family disputes. The publicity and push that was promised from the government has done nothing in letting the public know of its availability. We have been the only group to promote The Charter and The Parenting Agreement but we are a small voluntary group with very limited funds.
However, we have just been awarded a £10,000 Big Lottery Grant (investing in ideas). The idea is we now have a Mobile Family Information and Education Centre and the grant is to develop it further. We will be attending shows, shopping centres etc to promote The Charter and Parenting Agreement that the government has failed to do. We could now be doing with some help from you as Justice Minister in giving The Charter and Parenting Agreement more clout for it to be effective as it was intended to be.
Jimmy Deuchars,
Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland,
22 Alness Crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ.
**more from Jimmy in our on-line magazine coming SOON!!!
April 20th.................Andy Anderson in Forres
I opine that income tax was originally foisted upon UK subjects and residents to help finance the Napoleonic Wars. Since the 1800s many, and worse, wars have ensued but politicians continued the ruse in more peaceful times because it is a good revenue source.
It irks me that many duplicitous stunts have affected me. Examples are:
The inducement to engaged couples to marry in March, thus each partner recouped almost a year's income tax and were granted a tax-free Married Couple's Allowance (MCA) thereafter. However, MCA was withdrawn on 6 APR 2000 if the elder of a couple was born after 5 APR 1935. Born on 29 APR 1935, I was arbitrarily robbed, as was my younger bride. Since 6 APR 2000 we have paid an extra £4,800 income tax - a sneaky snatch. Henceforth our pensions' taxes will increase further. The lowest rate has
doubled from 10% to 20%, and our cost of living rises rapidly too.
Like Janus, I look forward, and backward. The mean deals that have affected many OAPs will be perpetrated on younger folk as they also age, and they must be alert lest worse befall them in turn. I look back to last month when a reader's letter astounded me. The writer was informed by the DWP that she was due to receive an extra 25 new pence per week (static since 1971!) on her imminent 80th. birthday anniversary. However, her 82 years old husband would have 10 new pence deducted from his 'award' already in issue. That amounts to a 40% reduction, which is the same rate, after tax-free personal allowances, as is charged on incomes exceeding £36,000 a year.It so happens that the octogenarian Moray couple receive Pension Credit, which is far lower than a single person earns for working 40 hours a week on the adult minimum wage - and that's nowhere near £36,000.If that's what will be offered to me, if I breathe long enough to become am obstinate octogenarian, I look forward to instructing the DWP what to do with it. Other governmental departments already know my timbre!
Yours etc.
T. I. Anderson (usual address).
It irks me that many duplicitous stunts have affected me. Examples are:
The inducement to engaged couples to marry in March, thus each partner recouped almost a year's income tax and were granted a tax-free Married Couple's Allowance (MCA) thereafter. However, MCA was withdrawn on 6 APR 2000 if the elder of a couple was born after 5 APR 1935. Born on 29 APR 1935, I was arbitrarily robbed, as was my younger bride. Since 6 APR 2000 we have paid an extra £4,800 income tax - a sneaky snatch. Henceforth our pensions' taxes will increase further. The lowest rate has
doubled from 10% to 20%, and our cost of living rises rapidly too.
Like Janus, I look forward, and backward. The mean deals that have affected many OAPs will be perpetrated on younger folk as they also age, and they must be alert lest worse befall them in turn. I look back to last month when a reader's letter astounded me. The writer was informed by the DWP that she was due to receive an extra 25 new pence per week (static since 1971!) on her imminent 80th. birthday anniversary. However, her 82 years old husband would have 10 new pence deducted from his 'award' already in issue. That amounts to a 40% reduction, which is the same rate, after tax-free personal allowances, as is charged on incomes exceeding £36,000 a year.It so happens that the octogenarian Moray couple receive Pension Credit, which is far lower than a single person earns for working 40 hours a week on the adult minimum wage - and that's nowhere near £36,000.If that's what will be offered to me, if I breathe long enough to become am obstinate octogenarian, I look forward to instructing the DWP what to do with it. Other governmental departments already know my timbre!
Yours etc.
T. I. Anderson (usual address).
April 6th.........Jimmy Deuchars in Glasgow
Professor Peter Smith and Linda Drew of Goldsmith College Oxford undertook research on grandparents who were separated from their families and it was found that 82% of real and psychosomatic illness for older people are caused by loneliness and separation from the family.
We need to promote the role that older people can play in modern life and show them what we're made of.
We have the voting power, "The Grey Vote" and all the major parties recognise this and are trying to con us into thinking they are going to do great things for us and we must vote for them but we all know that when they get elected we are pushed to the back again.
We need to do as John says and promote the SSCUP to all our families and friends and pensioners, grandparents and older people's groups for them to know we will only get what we are entitled to when we have our candidates elected and working for our benefit.
We started Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland because there was nowhere we could turn to for advice when we were separated from our grandchildren,. Grandparents were very low in the recognition of the role they could play in their grandchildren's lives by the courts social services and professionals who deal with children. We are proud to say there have been huge changes and we have raised the profile of grandparents to a higher recognition and are working with the government in producing "The Charter for Grandchildren" and "The Parenting Agreement" and this year we have been invited once again to join focus groups on making family contact work.
A couple of hours a week will help tremendously. It can be done if we put our heart into it and stand up and be counted and be proud of it.
.
Professor Peter Smith and Linda Drew of Goldsmith College Oxford undertook research on grandparents who were separated from their families and it was found that 82% of real and psychosomatic illness for older people are caused by loneliness and separation from the family.
We need to promote the role that older people can play in modern life and show them what we're made of.
We have the voting power, "The Grey Vote" and all the major parties recognise this and are trying to con us into thinking they are going to do great things for us and we must vote for them but we all know that when they get elected we are pushed to the back again.
We need to do as John says and promote the SSCUP to all our families and friends and pensioners, grandparents and older people's groups for them to know we will only get what we are entitled to when we have our candidates elected and working for our benefit.
We started Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland because there was nowhere we could turn to for advice when we were separated from our grandchildren,. Grandparents were very low in the recognition of the role they could play in their grandchildren's lives by the courts social services and professionals who deal with children. We are proud to say there have been huge changes and we have raised the profile of grandparents to a higher recognition and are working with the government in producing "The Charter for Grandchildren" and "The Parenting Agreement" and this year we have been invited once again to join focus groups on making family contact work.
A couple of hours a week will help tremendously. It can be done if we put our heart into it and stand up and be counted and be proud of it.
.
April 3rd....Jimmy Deuchars in Glasgow.........
Investigation into why family law is not working
If the governments of the UK say Family Law is ok the way it is, then we must look for the cause of injustice and unfair practice of the law that thousands of people are claiming of.
The common denominator of this injustice and unfairness appears to lie with the administration of the law ie courts, social services and the legal profession and needs to be investigated. The demonstration we held outside the Scottish Government was pin-pointing the need for the administration to be investigated and it drew grandparents, fathers, mothers, extended families from England as well as Scotland. This is a problem everyone suffers from at some time or another.
No matter which country you live within the UK, progress in one government influences another so whether you live in Scotland, England, Wales, or Ireland there is a knock on effect.
*Jimmy has an e-petition lodged with the Scottish Parliament.
Have a look at it. You may wish to give it your support.
March 31st. John Swinburne in Stewarton........
Further to Andy Anderson's comments on the ridiculous additional pension of 25p for those who reach 80 years of age it is interesting to note that this was first paid in 1971, obviously to offset the rise in the cost of living due to decimalization of the pound.
If this 25p had been index linked it would now be £2.67p per week.Not a lot, but considerably more than Alistair Darling's 96 pence per week which he awarded pensioners in a lump sum of £50 per annum in his recent budget.
If this 25p had been index linked it would now be £2.67p per week.Not a lot, but considerably more than Alistair Darling's 96 pence per week which he awarded pensioners in a lump sum of £50 per annum in his recent budget.
March 30th. Andy Anderson in Forres........
My hackles have been heightened again, and I've just contacted the DWP to cite the Title of the governing Act, Statutory Instrument or Regulation - so that I can ascertain the basis of the following report.
The readers' letters page of the 'The Forres Gazette' (7 MAR 08) includes a letter titled Raw Deal for OAPs. The anonymous 'Old age pensioner' complained of a recent BBC TV 'Question Time' broadcast item, then stated:
"We are pensioners and have just been told that as I will soon be 80, my pension is increased by 25p per week, but my husband, whose birthday is a week after mine and who will be 82, will get 10p taken from his (25p)
leaving us with just 15p extra - not even enough for a cup of tea."
The lady continued in forthright vein about some politicians' financial gifts to their families "... when they are supposed to be working for their parents. Could they live on what senior citizens live on? I think not."
I want that couple to contact me, please, and discuss means to REFORM the paucity of 'Pennies from Parliament' for Elders - also the other questionable anomalies she mentioned. There IS a way!
Yours etc.
Thomas I. ("Andy") Anderson.
The readers' letters page of the 'The Forres Gazette' (7 MAR 08) includes a letter titled Raw Deal for OAPs. The anonymous 'Old age pensioner' complained of a recent BBC TV 'Question Time' broadcast item, then stated:
"We are pensioners and have just been told that as I will soon be 80, my pension is increased by 25p per week, but my husband, whose birthday is a week after mine and who will be 82, will get 10p taken from his (25p)
leaving us with just 15p extra - not even enough for a cup of tea."
The lady continued in forthright vein about some politicians' financial gifts to their families "... when they are supposed to be working for their parents. Could they live on what senior citizens live on? I think not."
I want that couple to contact me, please, and discuss means to REFORM the paucity of 'Pennies from Parliament' for Elders - also the other questionable anomalies she mentioned. There IS a way!
Yours etc.
Thomas I. ("Andy") Anderson.