“OAPs need dignity in retirement,” states Richard Drax MP in his Echo column 27/2/15.

He says that promising to “triple lock” the winter fuel allowance, free bus pass and TV licence is not electioneering. Oh, really?

His party wrecked any chance of today’s pensioners receiving a decent state pension when, in 1981, they broke the link with earnings. Now, 34 years later, and only weeks away from another election, they find they must woo 15 million of us “baby boomer” pensioners. Hence the promise to maintain our “freebies”.

They are very much aware that we will drag our weary frames to the polling booth and drop our pencilled cross into the ballot box, even though we know it will not make one iota of difference because, alas, the UK first past the post voting system will ensure that another over (Eton) educated clone will inhabit 10 Downing Street and, as surely as night follows day, once again the “Pension Problem” will be kicked into the long grass.

Mr Drax hints that he would not disagree with means testing OAPs to remove the “freebies” from the wealthy 5% of pensioners, if only the cost of doing so did not negate any savings.

So, why not dispense with the “freebies” (along with the army of bureaucrats that administer them), and give every pensioner a liveable state pension?

Pay this “liveable pension” gross, as is the current state pension. Once added to additional income, let the long established tax system recoup from the wealthy 5%.

This government hands over billions of pounds of our money in foreign aid, EU subsidies and benefits to immigrants who have contributed nothing, then neglects millions of its own pensioners.

Will this utterly disgraceful situation ever be reversed? Not until the current voting system, that suits only the two main parties, is scrapped and replaced by one that truly empowers the electorate.

Rodney Best Doncaster Road Weymouth