IT HAS become apparent to me over the past two years or so that the only way to gain any recognition of the rights that we are entitled to as pensioners is to use our very considerable political muscle.
I am not advocating that we should form any sort of political allegiance but that we should influence the separate political parties, whether at local or national level and not just at election times or when such things as council tax are being discussed.
There are a quarter of a million of us in the Devon area and we can exert pressure at all times. When the various sections of the community negotiate for pay rises etc they do so from strength since they speak with one voice and have the power to force their way of thinking.
We, too, have that power, but only if we speak with one voice. I realise that already over the county as well as over the country as a whole, there are various and several organisations speaking on behalf of the pensioner but they do so rather as individual groups. It is now time to all get together.
I have found that Help the Aged are sponsoring the setting up of forums to speak up on behalf of all the things that involve the lives of pensioners, in fact there is already one such forum known as 'Action Forum Okehampton'.
The ideal would be to have one of these forums working in each of the district council and local council areas, which cover the whole of the country. This would obviously mean some very dedicated persons to set up such a scheme in their own particular council area. As I see it this would be worthwhile, since the opportunity is there now to have some help to influence those politicians who only seem concerned with the plight of the aged when election time comes around.
I know that a lot of people wrote to me to give me their support some months ago and for that I thank them. If any of those are interested in what I have said, or indeed any one else who thinks they would like to become involved I should be glad to hear from them.
I am not attempting to tread on the toes of the organisations already set up and am ready to learn from their experiences, but I really do feel that the time has come to speak with one voice, at first only in Devon and then perhaps all over the country, especially as we would have the assistance of a recognised body.
Patrick Shea
43 Oak Tree Park
Sticklepath