Speeches recovered from the Conservative party’s online archive More…
Speech to Conservative Party Spring Conference 2004 in Harrogate
"I am delighted to be speaking in this session because we have a large number pensioners in the Windsor constituency
So my thanks to the two David's and Tim for the kind invitation
It is my belief that people are happier when in control their own lives
When we work hard and make decisions for ourselves, we are more likely to make better decisions
And this applies to all of us whether we are
rich or poor
black or white
able or disabled
Even if we make the wrong decisions from time to time
We are more likely to put things right for ourselves
If we know it is up to us, to make provision for later life, and if the systems are simple and straight forward
Then we feel our lives are in our control
But over the last seven years this Government has built unrealistic expectations, about what to expect in retirement
And this is not their only crime:
They have coerced us into dependence on the state
By forcing us to complete complicated and intrusive forms
As if we were somehow beggars and criminals.
But have failed to stop the criminals that terrorize elderly people in their own homes
And they have fiddled and tinkered and messed about with the entire savings and pensions framework
So what we have today is an unwieldy and chaotic mess
I can honestly tell you
I do not understand all the credits, tax credits, tax breaks, savings schemes, pensions schemes, ombudsmen, quangos and rules surrounding earnings in retirement
Very few people do
Perhaps other than David Willets
In all areas it has become a form-filling nightmare
Where we pay our tax throughout our working lives, and are then forced, to go cap in hand to ask for some back
And if that weren't enough
To add insult to criminal injury they are taking £5bn a year from our pensions with their stealth tax
It is wrong
Many years ago people knew they would need to take care of themselves in retirement
Is it fair that hard working people are penalised for saving?
Is it fair that 60,000 teachers are facing a black hole in their pension funds?
And is it fair that people are forced to forfeit their family homes and inheritance to support themselves, when people who have made no provision are not?
Now to be fair nobody believes that Labour don't want to help
But by instinct, tradition and conviction they are opposed to people who want to be independent and self reliant
So their ideology prevents them from discovering the right answers
It is time to move on to a Conservative approach
An approach which will simplify pensions chaos
An approach which will reward those who work hard
And an approach, which recognises that we want to take care of ourselves
If only this Government would let us!"