Prime Minister 'lied' about miners pensions on visit to north Notts, says MP

An MP has accused the Prime Minister of breaking an election promise to miners.
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John Healey MP for Dearne Valley, has written to Boris Johnson in a last-ditch attempt to get him to stick to a pledge made in November 2019 during the General Election campaign.

He says Mr Johnson made a ‘categorical’ pledge that miners would get their ‘fair share’ from the Mineworkers Pension Scheme during his campaign in Mansfield in 2019.

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Mr Johnson told Andrew Topping, former Mansfield Chad reporter: “I want to tell the Mansfield Chad categorically that we will make sure that no Mansfield miner, or any other miner signed up to the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, is out of pocket.”

John Healey MP.John Healey MP.
John Healey MP.

Mr Healey has campaigned for changes to the scheme and its controversial ‘surplus-sharing arrangement’ which means any surplus is shared 50-50 between the government and members.

In his letter, he told the PM: “Many miners took your comments to mean there would be changes to the surplus sharing arrangement.

“If the government has no plans to change the scheme then you will have broken this firm promise you gave to miners and their families.

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“It is time for the government to do what is right and take a reduced share of the surplus to allow more pension support for the mineworkers and their families.”

Mr Healey wrote twice to the Energy Minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, calling again for a review and seeking clarification.

Mr Kwarteng said he believed the PM was referring to the government’s commitment to ensure all members “receive their full entitlement” and went on to list features of the scheme that were in place in 2019 before the election.

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