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Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners Visit us at www.BritishPensions.com Issue #3, 2017 Pension-friendly party holds balance of power in UK INSIDE Commons support 3 Chairman’s Column 4 Speak out this summer 5 Passion needed 7 Nanaimo BC 8 Business cards 9 T en MPs hold the balance of power in Britain’s hung parliament. Those 10 MPs are all members of a political party that supports global pension uprating, and they are the only thing that stands between the new Conservative government and a potential motion signaling Parliament’s loss of confidence in that government. The Democratic Unionist Party is in a uniquely potent position, one that allows its 10 MPs, should they so choose, to re- quire the government to eliminate pension freezing. The International Consortium of British Pensioners is working hard to make that happen. Over the past few years there have been beneficial interactions with a number of these MPs. Ian Paisley, for one, has assured us of his support, saying he was “prepared to fight” for the elderly who have been “short changed” by the government. Sammy Wilson was similarly encouraging during a convivial meeting with ICBP’s Sheila Telford over tea in the Commons. DUP leader Arlene Foster, First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, does not have a seat in Westminster. Educating ‘newbies’ ICBP is also taking essential steps to establish a sympathetic relationship with (yet another) new pensions minister. Guy Opperman has been an MP since only 2010. They are also ‘educating’ the 87 new- to-Westminster MPs about our cause and informing those whose party has pledged to end freezing of their commitment. Five political parties in Westminster formally support global uprating. Along with the DUP, they are Labour, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party. This means, in theory, that we have the support of a majority of sitting MPs. PR company PHA Media continues to play an vital role in our political cam- paign. Being London-based while ICBP volunteers are thousands of miles away, their professional facilitation of our face- to-face interactions with politicians and political parties is crucial. So too is the secretariat support they provide to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions. DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds MP entering 10 Downing Street Brexit pensions vs frozen pensions T he UK intends to continue to export and uprate the UK State Pension within the EU, subject to reciprocity. With that one statement in a Brexit policy paper presented to Parliament in late June by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, the jangled nerves of 492,000 pensioners in Europe have been calmed. “This victory is most gratifying,” says Sheila Telford, chairman of the International Consortium of British Pensioners. ICBP had vociferously champi- oned the cause of EU pensioners ever since the Brexit vote. “We will now be looking to see if this decision by the government holds any potential for the case of frozen pensioners.” Home Secretary Amber Rudd had good news for EU pensioners Continued on page 3…
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Issue #3, 2017 Pension-friendly party holds balance of ... · Kelowna BC decided to make it his personal mission to ensure expat pensioners in Europe knew about CABP and the role

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Page 1: Issue #3, 2017 Pension-friendly party holds balance of ... · Kelowna BC decided to make it his personal mission to ensure expat pensioners in Europe knew about CABP and the role

Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners Visit us at www.BritishPensions.com

Issue #3, 2017

Pension-friendly partyholds balance of power in UK

INSIDECommons support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Chairman’s Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Speak out this summer . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Passion needed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Nanaimo BC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Business cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Ten MPs hold the balance of power in Britain’s hung parliament. Those 10 MPs are all members of a political

party that supports global pension uprating, and they are the only thing that stands between the new Conservative government and a potential motion signaling Parliament’s loss of confidence in that government.

The Democratic Unionist Party is in a uniquely potent position, one that allows its 10 MPs, should they so choose, to re-quire the government to eliminate pension freezing. The International Consortium of British Pensioners is working hard to make that happen.

Over the past few years there have been beneficial interactions with a number of these MPs. Ian Paisley, for one, has assured us of his support, saying he was “prepared to fight” for the elderly who have been “short changed” by the government. Sammy Wilson was similarly encouraging during a convivial meeting with ICBP’s

Sheila Telford over tea in the Commons.DUP leader Arlene Foster, First Minister

in the Northern Ireland Assembly, does not have a seat in Westminster.

Educating ‘newbies’ICBP is also taking essential steps to establish a sympathetic relationship with (yet another) new pensions minister. Guy Opperman has been an MP since only 2010.

They are also ‘educating’ the 87 new-to-Westminster MPs about our cause and informing those whose party has pledged to end freezing of their commitment.

Five political parties in Westminster formally support global uprating. Along with the DUP, they are Labour, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party. This means, in theory, that we have the support of a majority of sitting MPs.

PR company PHA Media continues to play an vital role in our political cam-

paign. Being London-based while ICBP volunteers are thousands of miles away, their professional facilitation of our face-to-face interactions with politicians and political parties is crucial. So too is the secretariat support they provide to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions.

DUP leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dodds MP entering 10 Downing Street .

Brexit pensions vs frozen pensions

The UK intends to continue to export and uprate the UK State Pension within the EU, subject to reciprocity.

With that one statement in a Brexit policy paper presented to Parliament in late June by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, the jangled nerves of 492,000 pensioners in

Europe have been calmed. “This victory is most gratifying,” says Sheila

Telford, chairman of the International Consortium of British Pensioners. ICBP had vociferously champi-oned the cause of EU pensioners ever since the Brexit vote. “We will now be looking to see if this decision by the government holds any potential for the case of frozen pensioners.”Home Secretary Amber Rudd had good

news for EU pensioners . Continued on page 3…

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2 - JUSTICE #3, 2017

JUSTICE is published by:

CANADIAN ALLIANCE OF BRITISH PENSIONERS

National Office: 202–4800 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M9A 1B1Tel: 416-253-6402 • Toll free: 1-888-591-3964Email: [email protected]: www.BritishPensions.com

OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday-Friday, 10 am to 2 pm (Eastern Time)

Editor: Rosalind Tosh • justice@britishpensions .com

Advertising: Malcolm Campbell malcolmcampbell@britishpensions .com

© Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners

CHAPTER CONTACTSONTARIO:

GTA & Surround: Margaret Wells Tel: 905-450-9028 • Email: mawells@pathcom .com

Orillia/Barrie: Alan Llewellyn Tel: 705-329-0894 • Email: alwell04@yahoo .ca

Oshawa: George Morley Tel: 905-697-3783 • Email: morlege@gmail .com

Ottawa: Tony Bockman Tel: 613-627-9675 • Email: tony .bockman@primus .ca

Windsor: Ian Spencer Tel: 519-739-0808 • Email: isted2@yahoo .com

ALBERTA: Sheila Telford Tel: 403-245-8541 • Email: sheilatelford@shaw .ca

MANITOBA: Ken Butchart Tel: 204-222-6983 • Email: kmbutchart@me .com

NEW BRUNSWICK: Franklin Cardy Tel: 506-529-4280 • Email: fcardy@nb .sympatico .ca

NOVA SCOTIA: Michael Alford Tel: 902-835-9780 • Email: mjalford@bellaliant .net

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: Stephen Lowe Tel: 902-963-4009 • Email: stephen .lowe@bellaliant .net

QUEBEC: Richard Yates Tel: 514-631-9020 • Email: rilieve@sympatico .ca

BRITISH COLUMBIA:Greater Victoria: Alan McFarlane Tel: 250-995-9356 • Email: alanmc@shaw .ca

Nanaimo: Ian Andexser Tel: 250-758-7594 • Email: iandexser@hotmail .com

Sooke Area: Fred Whittaker, Tel: 250-642-4968 • Email: seapeeps@telus .net

Squamish: Bill Avery Tel: 604 896 1575 • Email: averysen@telus .net

Elsewhere: Ian Andexser Tel: 250-758-7594 • Email: iandexser@hotmail .com

OTHER CANADIAN LOCATIONS & INTERNATIONAL: CABP Office: Tel: 416-253-6402 or 1-888-591-3964Email: info@britishpensions .com

Please note: All comments, information, articles, opinions and answers appearing in JUSTICE or provided by CABP or its volunteers are offered in good faith but are not intended to be a substitute for informed professional advice .

Editorial by Rosalind Tosh

ErratumAn article in the last issue, Member personifies injustice for Ottawa MP, contained a misspelling of Peter Duffey’s surname. Also it should have said that his daughter receives a pension that is approximately one-third more that his own for the same number of contribution years. Our apologies to Mr Duffey and our gratitude for his active involvement in promoting pension justice.

Deadline for submissions to the next issue: 22 September 2017

Almost two years ago, a CABP member in Kelowna BC decided to make it his personal mission to ensure expat pensioners in Europe

knew about CABP and the role it could play if their pensions were to be frozen as a result of Brexit. Unbidden and working alone, Nigel Nelson and his wife, Carole, kept up the pressure until they succeed-ed in getting articles published in English-language newspapers throughout the continent. We know they succeeded, because suddenly CABP began to hear from hundreds of them.

Nigel didn’t stop there. He took it on himself to research all kinds of angles and perspectives that he felt could contribute to the political campaign in the UK – economics, history, numbers, migration, etc. That’s when the International Consortium of British Pensioners sat up and took notice. John Markham – the father of our political campaign (and our all-time hero) – was looking for someone to relieve him as consortium chairman. Nigel clearly fit the bill.

Nigel then led ICBP’s productive 43-meetings-in-eight-days mission to London last November, but shortly after that health issues suddenly forced him to resign from all duties. Today, we are delighted to report, he is doing well again – so well that he is back to working on maintaining the consortium’s website.

This is due in part to Sheila Telford. Sheila has taken over as chairman of ICBP for a year, so Nigel is able to rest and recuperate in the sure knowledge that the world’s 550,000 ‘frozen’ pensioners are in good hands. A resolute and resourceful CABP director, Sheila is no stranger to the post. She previously led the consortium in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

And now John Markham really can retire. Well, almost. He has promised to maintain some of the key relationships that he has built in the UK over the past decade.

The POP Group of dyed-in-the-wool pension activists sent a message to John on his retirement, thanking him for all he has achieved. Group spokesman Jeff Chipps reports that John, in turn, thanked the group for their work and support. “But however much we do,” says Jeff,”…we all know John far outpaces us by what he’s done in bringing us to where we are today.”

It is my honour to wish John a well-earned, richly-deserved, long and happy retirement. It is my pleasure to send Nigel all good wishes for a speedy and full recovery. And it is my privilege to be able to offer Sheila any support that I, as one member

of CABP, can provide.

A recovering Nigel Nelson thanks Sheila Telford for jumping back in at a crucial time .

Happy retirement, John!

Phot

o: T

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JUSTICE #3, 2017 - 3

Commons supports pension upratingA backbench motion to end pension

freezing was put and agreed to in the House of Commons on April

20. The forceful wording of the motion indicated the strength of passion felt by a great many Westminster MPs about the injustice of the freezing policy. The motion read: “That this House . . . insists that the Government take the necessary steps to withdraw (the legislation that imposes freezing).”

Backbench motions are not binding on the Government, however academic research points to their success at altering government policy as they are a strong indicator of the mood of Parliament. If they were binding, MPs would lose the freedom to speak freely and would be required to vote according to party lines.

MPs from every major party spoke so passionately in favour of reform that pen-sions minister Richard Harrington was moved to comment on the fact that the subject “arouses strong opinions.”

Passionate opinions“A debt of honour that must be paid,” was how Sir Roger Gale (Con) charac-terized the ongoing situation that forces into penury thousands of pensioners who, he said, have served their country in the armed forces, the foreign service and many other walks of life, and who have, collectively and severally, paid their way.

“Where is the humanity in this?” Ian Blackford (SNP) demanded to know.

“The money is there.” He then detailed the £30 billion surplus that sits in the national insurance fund.

Margaret Ferrier (SNP) showed equal contempt for the official line that uprat-ing is not affordable, saying, “When this Government are renewing Trident at a cost of hundreds of billions of pounds, it is indefensible to say that this uprating is unaffordable.”

“Legally unsustainable,” was the prediction Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem) pronounced regarding the future of the freezing policy, pointing to the fact that it effectively denies citizens of the UK freedom of movement in an increasingly globalized world.

Minister’s responseAlex Cunningham (Lab) addressed pensions minister Richard Harrington directly, challenging him to join Labour in pledging to protect the pensions of people living overseas, adding, “It is just the right thing to do.”

Harrington’s circuitous response included the standard official line: “The rate of contribution paid has never earned entitlement to the indexation of pensions payable abroad.” His was the sole voice opposed to reform during the two-hour debate.

The minister’s stock reply was inevita-ble, however, given that a general election had been called just 48 hours earlier and everything was up in the air. Undeterred, Sir Roger Gale, chair of the All-Party

Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions, made a promise to the House: “People like me and my colleagues will carry on until we get a resolution.”

Read the transcripthttps://hansard.parliament.uk/com-mons/2017-04-20/debates/735BC811-D247-4C79-A478-37B503F8F631/StatePensionsUKExpatriates

Timing wrong for tantalizing meeting

Pensions minister Richard Harrington invited ICBP to a surprise meeting two days in advance of the April 20 Commons debate on pension freezing . CABP chairman David Morris dropped everything and travelled to London to represent the consortium . Shortly before the meeting was to take place, however, Theresa May called a snap election and thus the appointment was cancelled .

Given the minister’s unexpected request to see us just prior to the scheduled debate, we are left to wonder if he might have been planning to make an announcement on April 20 . With Parliament suddenly facing dissolution, however, we are simply left to wonder…and to hope .

Why them, not us? The UK has always maintained that it uprates overseas pen-sions only where there is a legal requirement to do so. No such requirement will exist for EU countries post-Brexit. Thus, ICBP strategy within Westminster is now focusing vigourously on the question: Why them but not us? Same contribution, different treatment. Why the discrimination?

The policy statement’s reference to reciprocity is also of interest, given that the pleas of countries like Canada and Australia for reciprocity (both countries uprate the pensions of their own citizens living in Britain) have been rejected time after time for more than 40 years, with the UK insisting that it would not engage in any more reciprocal arrangements.

Again, we demand to be told why EU countries but not us?

…Brexit pensions vs frozen pensions continued from page 1

Keeping Ottawa in the loop

Canadian cabinet minister Kent Hehr (in blue shirt)

assured Sheila Telford (pink shirt) that he remains “very

aware” of the “unresolved issue” of frozen pensions .

Mr Hehr, Sheila’s local MP, was accompanying

PM Justin Trudeau at the Calgary Stampede .

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4 - JUSTICE #3, 2017

JACK FROST FANS REJOICE!If you’ve enjoyed the fictional detective Jack Frost, you’re sure to love Detective Sergeant Daniel Compton. He’s the rough-hewn, cynical character created by author Michael Hanson, a former Detective Constable with the London Metropolitan Police force.

In Hanson’s first book, Canonsfield One, the first of a series, the murder of a young girl stretches the resourc-es of a small English police force. However, Compton receives unexpected help from wounded war veterans and a highclass madam who runs an up-scale brothel.

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE BOOK NOW!Click on the book cover, right, or type the following in your browser: www.britishdetectivesto-ries.com. You may download a PDF, EBOOK or KINDLE version.

Their campaigning is remarkable, particularly given the distances involved.”

That comment referring to the accomplish-ments of the International Consortium of British Pensioners over the past decade was just one of many statements of praise for ICBP and its volunteers that were articulated in the House of Commons on April 20.

“This group of campaigners, these British citizens, came to Parliament, but who could they directly con-tact…because they are not our constituents?” was the rhetorical question posed by then-MP Greg Mulholland.

“I pay tribute to the members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions, and particularly to the very active members and the chair,” he went on, in answer to his own question. “(They chose) to represent such people through friendship… because this is about justice.”

Write on! There were many references in the Commons on April 20 to correspondence British MPs continue to receive from ‘frozen’ pensioners .

Labour MP Alex Cunningham, for one, had clearly been moved and motivated by the fact that, according to his reckoning, “nearly 700 overseas pensioners” had contacted him directly thus far .

Keep up the first-rate lobbying, CABP members! You letters do achieve quite an impact .

Commons pays tribute to ICBP and APPG

The head table at CABP’s annual general meeting in June was con-spicuously lacking some directors.

Instead of joining us in Ontario for the corporate AGM, our BC-based directors remained at home. This was a conscious decision on the part of the board, a decision made as one of several essential cost-saving measures.

Finances are very much on our minds these days. The all-important political campaign in the UK depends on us for

funding, and CABP in turn depends on our membership as our sole source for that financial support. Today our mem-bership numbers are slowly declining, with the result that our revenue is steadily decreasing.

By its very nature, our organization tends to attract mainly older people. Older people drop off membership rolls of any kind, due to the impact of time. Without new members to continuously replace them, our finances dwindle.

Getting and retaining new members is a priority of paramount importance.

Solution is in your handsWe know from experience that referrals by existing members are a key source of new growth. We earnestly request your active participation in recruiting.

To help you in this, we once again provide a page of business cards in this issue of JUSTICE for you to clip and distribute as far and as widely as you possibly can.

Chairman’s Columnby Dave Morris, CABP Chairman

Member numbers in Canada impact campaign in Britain

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JUSTICE #3, 2017 - 5

All of us want British MPs to return from their summer recess with a renewed sense of purpose for

finally putting an end to pension freezing. Everyone who is reading this can help make that happen.

Westminster’s summer recess removes MPs from the in-session mayhem for a brief period, offering an enhanced window of opportunity for gaining their ear. So please, use this time to write to the MP representing your (former) UK constituency – and do so if at all possible before Parliament returns on September 5.

If you are a Twitter user, we urge you to tweet your MP directly. Many of them personally control their own Twitter

account and follow it avidly, so this is a great way to reach them.

Keep your message short, friendly and personal. Make clear your link to his/her constituency. Share the impact a frozen pension has on you. Ask the MP to show support for fairness for you and the other 550,000 ‘frozen’ pensioners by joining the All-party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions.

The current ‘perfect storm’ of a hung parliament combined with the support of Labour and SNP for pension uprat-ing, plus the Conservative’s reliance for their majority on the DUP (who have traditionally supported us) makes this a particularly potent moment for pushing for change to happen.

The next UK budget is expected in November, so it is critical that we maxi-mize pressure between now and then. Whatever else you are doing this summer, please find time to send a letter, tweet or email to a British MP or two. It’s to your own advantage to do so.

Fifteen years ago, I had the very good fortune of stumbling across CABP. I seem to remember an information

booth in a shopping mall with a banner saying something like, ‘Have you ever worked in the UK and do you want to be given money by the UK Government?’

Well, perhaps the banner did not say exactly that, but that’s the message I took home with me that day.

I’m a 62 year-old Scot living in Victoria, BC. I left the UK in 1978 and hope to continue living in Canada for the rest of my life. Bumping into CABP has helped to make that possible.

Very quickly I received valuable advice from CABP and re-engaged with the UK pension plan, and also made back pay-ments for as many years as I could. The net result is that I will be eligible for a full UK pension at age 66.

What a bonus! I am self-employed and the only other pension monies I will receive are the Canadian OAP and CPP. I therefore view the UK pension as a fantastic assistance to me when I get older. That day in 2002 when I bumped into CABP was a very lucky day indeed – and all the more lucky because not one person before or in the years since has ever mentioned that an expat could receive a UK pension, so chances are 100% that, without CABP, I would never have known, I would have lost out on my rights forever, and my senior years would have been sorely affected.

That day in 2002 was also very lucky for my three siblings, one in Australia and two in the US, as I was able to inform them that they too are eligible for a pension.

My turn to give backI cannot thank CABP organizers and volunteers enough for their remarkable dedication on our behalf. I can only ask them to please tell me what I can do to help at any time.

Right now I am taking two easy actions that I hope will increase membership (so that funding is available for political ac-tion in the UK) and also to “save” any other expats like me who may not be aware of their pension rights.

Firstly, I have a bumper sticker on my car that publicizes CABP (I got it free from CABP’s office).

Secondly, I tell every British expat that I run across about their potential eligibility for a pension. And for those still pre-retirement, I tell them that CABP can often help them increase the amount. My experience has been that people are interested and indeed they are frequently very grateful to have possibly life-changing information fall into their lap.

My message to fellow CABP members is this: Take whatever action you can, small or large (and especially when asked for spe-cific assistance), to help CABP achieve its mission of positively impacting our personal financial futures. It’s the least we can do.

Was it by chance for you too?How did you find out about CABP? Was it pure luck, as with Fiona? If you did not receive a UK pension, what would your quality of life be like? How does (or will) freezing impact you?

Write to CABP’s office or email to justice@britishpnensions .com .

Speak out now to UK MPsSummer easiest time to be heard

My great good fortuneby Fiona Macleod, CABP member

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6 - JUSTICE #3, 2017

AGM 2017Member participation at this year’s annual general meeting on June 17 was significant and animated, following presentations by chairman Dave Morris (photo #3), finance director David Acheson (#4), and consortium chairman/CABP director Sheila Telford . Former CABP chairman Peter Kennan provided some historic context (#5) .

Many thanks to volunteers Brian Fenhoulet, Anna Fitzgerald and Olive Stanton for once again ensuring the AGM ran smoothly under the direction of office manager Angela Paton .

CABP Board of Directors 2017-2018David Morris, ChairmanDavid Acheson, TreasurerSheila Telford, Canadian Government LiaisonStephen Willetts, Canadian Government LiaisonMalcolm Campbell, Marketing DirectorIan Andexser, Director

Bill Avery, Director

AGM 2017

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5 6 7

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JUSTICE #3, 2017 - 7

Cheerful and the not-so-cheerful make for a lively day in Sooke

by Fred Whittaker, CABP Rep, Sooke BC

This year we once again set up a CABP information booth at the Sooke Rotary Club’s annual spring

fair and auction. And this time, happily, we were allotted a space close to the main entrance to the event, so we had the benefit of maximum traffic flow past our display. The crowd asked loads of questions – mostly cheerful, but more on that later – and many took away a copy of our brochure to peruse at leisure.

A lot of people were pleasantly sur-prised by the information we gave about their pension rights. Three new member-ships happened on the spot and others may well be in the works. I felt the day was indeed useful to many. The fact that CABP Director Ian Andexser showed up all the way from Nanaimo to share his thorough knowledge of the ins and outs of the pension maze and its arcane history was instructive for many.

We had a very nice group of local volunteers helping. Marjorie Miller-McKinnon , David Lintern and Eric Hurwood were indispensible to the day’s success, helping set up the booth in the morning (amidst a flurry of good-natured swearing, of not enough push pins, and of sticky Sellotape mucking up our fingers), putting the word out to anyone willing to listen throughout the day, and never losing enthusiasm for the cause. Thanks, folks!

We had a lively time indeed, even – or maybe especially – when a couple of punters were not so cheerful, preferring to give us an earful of comments such as “It’ll never happen! You’re wasting your time!” I knew one of these fellows quite well so took some satisfaction in being able to tell him to move along. Such pes-simistic rhetoric only feeds the existing state of affairs and is guaranteed to keep us all frozen forever.

Marjorie Miller-McKinnon and Fred Whittaker are ready for anything .

What we need is for more people to get stuck in,” says Sheila Telford, chairman of the International Consortium of British Pensioners.

“We need skills such as the ability to research and produce reports when required, but what is needed most is resourcefulness and initiative!” she says. “That, and a creative passion for fighting the injustice of frozen pensions – combined of course with the ability to work cooperatively with a diverse group from around the world that meets only by phone.”

ICBP is the recognized face and voice of the campaign for end-ing pension freezing. Its work has been acknowledged countless times in parliamentary debates in Westminster.

ICBP directors are independent volunteers whose fiduciary duty

is to represent the interests of ‘frozen’ pensioners across the globe. Please consider serving on the ICBP board or offering assis-

tance in other ways. Tasks include maintaining ICBP’s online presence, which

requires regular updating. The consortium’s website and social media platforms (including a Facebook page and Twitter feed) play an essential role in making contact with key players and they also attract new members to CABP and fellow consortium partner organization British Pensions in Australia.

The latter is important because these two organizations are the primary source of funding for the political campaign in the UK. It cannot be emphasized enough that without the strong con-tinuation of such funding, the activities of ICBP in Westminster would simply come to a complete halt.

Current ICBP directors Sheila Telford (Canada), ChairmanColin Rainsbury (Canada), Secretary TreasurerJim Tilley (Australia), DirectorJohn Duffy (Antigua), DirectorBrian Fenhoulet (Canada), Director

Kudos dueMany thanks go out to CABP members Brendan & Annabel Rogers of Nanaimo, BC . As soon as they heard Sheila Telford plead for help during the information meeting in Nanaimo in June, they stepped right up and volunteered to assist with the maintenance of the consortium’s website . Now that’s initiative! And a great example for more of us to follow .

Ian Andexser (right) brought extensive knowledge to the table .

Needed: passionate people who’ll get stuck in“

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8 - JUSTICE #3, 2017

First public meeting on Vancouver Island

in four yearsby Ian Andexser, CABP Rep, Nanaimo BC

When you tell friends in the UK that you live on Vancouver Island, images of a place the size of Guernsey (652 kilometres) or the Isle of Wight (3842 kilome-tres ) usually spring to their minds and you need to explain that our island,

at over 31,2502 kilometres, is in fact larger than several European countries including Belgium. And so, in late June, it was with great appreciation that I welcomed close to 90 people, many of whom had travelled long distances from all parts of our paradise, to CABP’s first public information meeting to take place on the island in four years.

As a member of the national board of directors, I was able to fill everyone in on what has been happening in Canada, including the vital work members across the country are currently doing by lobbying their Ottawa MPs to put some teeth into the demand for pension justice when they are dealing with Westminster – a stance that will become particularly important when the UK comes asking to negotiate a trade deal with Canada after Brexit.

Sheila Telford, chairman of the International Consortium of British Pensioners, shared some of the amazing work ICBP has been doing in London and outlined strategies for the coming year, particularly around Brexit. If the UK Government continues to uprate the pensions of the tens of thousands of British citizens living in EEC countries follow-ing Brexit, she explained, that decision may impact the case of frozen pensioners around the world.

Sheila also described the intensive week of meetings last November with British MPs and journalists that led then-chairman Nigel Nelson to pronounce himself “gob-smacked” by the amount of support for pension justice that is evident in Westminster and in major media publications, and by the amount of work public relations firm PHA Media does for ICBP and our cause.

The afternoon concluded with lively audience participation in the form of great questions from the floor. We were pleased to welcome 12 new members and I closed the event by asking everyone to encourage more new memberships among friends and rela-tives – and even to hand out CABP business cards, available free of charge from CABP’s office (and also in this issue of JUSTICE), to strangers with “funny accents” like ours.

My gratitude goes to the enthusiastic volunteers who helped with set-up and tear-down for the meeting: Dorn Smith, Jim Wilde, Ian Bailey, and Richard & Dee Barclay. Sincere thanks also to Darrlyn Child, Fred Whittaker, Michael Miller and Alan McFarlane for their invaluable support throughout the year. And I also acknowledge my fellow CABP director, Bill Avery, who fully intended to participate in the Nanaimo meeting; however circumstances beyond his control led to him missing the ferry from the mainland.

That just may be the only drawback of island living!

ICBP chairman Sheila Telford (right) inspires a full house in Nanaimo .

There are 12 million UK state pensioners, all of

whom contributed similarly to the pension scheme via compulsory National Insurance Contributions .

• Of the 12 million, just over

one million live outside the UK . •

Half of the pensioners living overseas receive the same annual cost-of-living

increases as those still living in the UK, while the other half

does not – their pensions are frozen simply because of where they have chosen to reside in their retirement .

• Commonwealth nations and British overseas territories are home to 98 per cent of

“frozen” pensioners .•

There are 147,000 in Canada plus 247,000 expats who are heading towards pension age .

THE ISSUEAT A GLANCETHE ISSUEAT A GLANCE

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JUSTICE #3, 2017 - 9

Business cards to grow our campaignPLEASE CLIP AND HAND OUT

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10 - JUSTICE #3, 2017

Business cards to grow our campaignPLEASE CLIP AND HAND OUT

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JUSTICE #3, 2017 - 11

CABP MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION OR RENEWALClip and mail this form OR join/renew online www.britishpensions.com/joinrenew/ OR by phone 1-888-591-3964

PLEASE PRINT

Name(s): ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________ Email Address (if none, write NONE): ________________________________________________

PLEASE CHECK 4 m New Member(s) OR m Renewing Member(s) ~ Membership # (if known): ________________________________

* I/we were referred by (Member’s name &/or Membership #): ___________________________________________

m Individual OR m Couple (no charge for second person)

m Prefer to read JUSTICE online OR m Prefer to receive JUSTICE via postal service

Please charge fee/donation to: m m OR m My cheque payable to CABP is enclosed.

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PLEASE CLIP FORM WHERE INDICATED & MAIL WITH YOUR CHEQUE OR MONEY ORDER TO:Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners, 202–4800 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M9A 1B1

In the interests of economy, receipts will not be mailed. We are most grateful for all support, particularly donations to the Action Fund.

Canadian Resident Annual Fee ($25):

Non-Resident Fee: $40 CAD, includes paper Justice OR $25 CAD, includes e-Justice

Donation to CABP Action Fund:

Total Enclosed: $

FOR CABP OFFICE USE ONLY Auth . #: Date:

To read JUSTICE ONLINE (instead of in hard copy)Request from: [email protected]

Personal stories are exceptionally successful at capturing attention – that is simply a fact of life for social animals like us. That is why CABP and our consortium are asking for stories that we can share with the world through

the media: personal stories showing your real-life experiences with the challenges and emotions of having to live on a frozen pension or the prospect of one.

Journalists in Britain are keen to receive examples of individual experiences – respected journalists who write for supportive newspapers such as The Telegraph, The Guardian and The Daily Mail. Indeed, such stories are the only way we will ever reach the person-on-the-street in Belfast, in Cardiff, in Edinburgh, in London, and everywhere in-between, so as to convince them that global pension uprating is not an extravagance but an elemental necessity.

A letter to the editor sent to a few newspapers can also be very useful. Most may not make it into print, but some will – and those that do are worth their weight in gold to our cause.

Please send us your personal story for sharing: [email protected].

Your name should be in headlines

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12 - JUSTICE #3, 2017

Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP)202 - 4800 Dundas Street West

Toronto M9A 1B1 CanadaPUBLICATION MAIL

AGREEMENT NUMBER 40010836

In memory of the

many who die

while waiting for

their pension to

be indexed, CABP

observes one minute

of silence before

each meeting .

YOU GET ALL THIS FOR $25Membership in CABP buys you…• Top-rated PR campaign in the UK • The energy and support of an international consortium of pensioners• Advice on dealing with the Dept for Work & Pensions (through CABP’s office)• Four magazines a year to keep you informed

Join or renew now!

MEMBERSHIP UP-TO-DATE?Check the Expiry date and KEEP UP YOUR SUPPORT for global pension parity.

Your ad will be seen

COAST-to-COASTin JUSTICE

PLACE YOUR AD WITH

Malcolm Campbell

[email protected]

416-253-6402

1-888-591-3964

Your ad will be seen

COAST-to-COAST

Please use application form inside back cover OR Join/renew online at www.britishpensions.com/joinrenew/ OR Phone 1-888-591-3964