Lee Anderson opinion: 'Enough is enough, Government must give ex-mineworkers what they are owed.

This week, on behalf of Reform UK, I have called on the Government to finally settle the Mineworkers Pension Scheme and pay its members before Christmas; if it fails to do so, Reform UK will commit to doing so within 100 days of entering Government. 

To the dismay of many, the Chancellor failed to set a clear and unambiguous timetable for resolving the pension issue in the Autumn Budget last week. The Prime Minister was also unable to provide the clarity miners deserve when subsequently questioned. 

This is something I have been campaigning on ever since first becoming Ashfield's Member of Parliament back in 2019.

I am in constant conversation with the scheme's trustees and the Coal Authority on this issue, and during the previous Parliament I also lobbied a number of Ministers from the previous Conservative Governments.

As a former Ashfield miner of ten years from a family full of miners who worked at every pit in North Nottinghamshire, this is personal to me.

Enough is enough. Miners and their families have waited too long. Tragically, 18 ex-miners die every day without the fair resolution of this matter they deserve. 

The members must now be paid by Christmas. 

If that does not happen, Reform UK has put the Government on notice that if our party wins the next General Election, a Reform UK government will end surplus sharing and the standstill mechanism and immediately transfer the undistributed surplus funds (including the Guarantor’s Fund) to the scheme’s members.

I have also tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for exactly that, which all Members of Parliament are now able to sign.

At the time of writing, only Reform UK MPs have supported this motion, which proves that we are the only party that is taking this issue seriously.

No more messing around. The Government cannot keep dragging their feet with this.

Miners can be assured that they will get the resolution they have been denied until now under a Reform UK Government. 

In other news this week, I have written a joint letter with neighbouring Sherwood Forest MP Michelle Welsh, who's constituency covers parts of the Ashfield District, referring Ashfield District Council to the police.

Michelle and I have put out politics aside to urge Nottinghamshire Police to launch an investigation into the authority as serious facts and allegations have come to light following the fraud conviction of former leader Jason Zadrozny.

We note that, having raised these issues with the Government, a Rapid Best Value Assessment of the authority has been ordered, and senior officials in the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government are currently meeting with council representatives and the authority’s external auditor. 

Whilst we welcome this intervention from the Government, given the seriousness of the concerns raised, we believe a police investigation is now necessary. 

We will be meeting with Nottinghamshire Police next week to discuss these concerns.