Mark Garnier has been a supporter of the Equitable Life policy holders who lost their savings in the collapse of this giant. In the run up to the general election, he repeats his promises. The policyholders of Equitable Life have been disgracefully treated by this Labour Government.
If more than 30,000 people had died waiting for justice in any other situation there would be rioting on the streets. Yet Gordon Brown's government has been happy to kick the issue of Equitable Life into the long grass.
Conservatives welcomed the Ombudsman's recommendations as soon as they were published. However, the Labour Government, rather than following our lead, took six months to make a formal response and even then decided to ignore most of her findings. It has taken a judicial review to get the Government to finally accept responsibility. Labour Ministers then kicked the issue into the long grass by appointing a retired judge, who won't report until after the General Election.
Gordon Brown has failed Equitable policyholders and sought at every stage of the process to block, frustrate and delay justice for policyholders. In a recent debate in the House of Commons, Labour MPs did so again.
The tragedy of the situation is that we would have acted immediately, but as a result of Labour's delays, over 30,000 affected policyholders have died.
Conservatives have made a firm pledge to compensate Equitable Life policyholders and dependents with no means testing. " I have the EMAG pledge as a sign of this commitment. Policyholders have waited long enough for justice." Says Mark
The EMAG Pledge reads:
"I pledge to the voters of this constituency that if I am elected to Parliament at the next general election, I will support and vote for proper compensation for victims of the Equitable Life scandal and I will support and vote to set up a swift, simple, transparent and fair payment scheme - independent of government - as recommended by the Parliamentary Ombudsman." Mark Garnier