I HAVE recently written to our local MP, Mark Harper, on the subject of Armed Forces pensions. Military pensions are linked to those earned by employees in the public sector and one of the first changes the Coalition made when it came to power, as part of its cost reduction strategy, was to move the goalposts concerning public sector pensions so that, with effect from this year, any increases in this sector, which includes the Armed Forces, would be linked to the CPI rather than the RPI, effectively a decrease in the value of the pension.

Following this decision, the chairman of the Forces Pension Society wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to re-examine the change but I regret that the PM's intransigent response was such that he clearly doesn't appreciate or recognise the unique nature of military service.

In my letter I reminded Mr Harper that in recent months he had achieved considerable publicity in the local press proclaiming his support and admiration for the Armed Forces in general and the 'local' Rifles Brigade in particular. I suggested that now that he was in Government it was time that he put that vocal support into some positive action and that he should show support for the Forces Pension Society in its bid for servicemen and women to be given a fairer deal.

In his reply to me Mr Harper declined to do so.

When Mr. Harper was elected to represent the Forest of Dean I had great hopes that he really would truly represent the views of his constituents and in opposition he showed considerable promise. However, now in Government and holding a junior ministerial post with promotion prospects, he appears to have cast aside his individuality for the sake of the 'party line'.

His response to my letter was disappointing in that it clearly echoed the PM's words. On one hand he said that the Government immensely valued the armed forces and realised that they were exceptional people carrying out a difficult job in often dangerous circumstances whilst, on the other, he said that it was not equitable to treat them differently.

The Armed Forces do not expect privileged status, nevertheless, they should be treated as a special group within the public sector to reflect the unique nature of their role which is, clearly, very different to the work of the average public sector employee.

Therefore, the next time Mr Harper is seen or heard publicly voicing his praise for the military it should be remembered that his support for the men and women in uniform is superficial and that when it actually comes to supporting their cause to have their pension rates reinstated to what they were before the Government embarked on its cost cutting exercise he is not prepared to stray from his master.

– D J Smale, Armed Forces Pensioner.