Justice for 1,000 local residents

MORE than 1,000 Warrington residents who lost money through the Equitable Life collapse have learned the campaign to bring them justice is being stepped up.
MP Steve Webb, the Liberal Democrat front bench spokesman on work and pensions visited Warrington and held an open meeting for policyholders and other concerned people.
Hosted by Warrington South Prospective Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate Jo Crotty, the meeting was at The Gateway in Sankey Street.
Mr Webb explained the steps being taken by the all-party parliamentary group after the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s damning assessment of the Government’s response to her report on the collapse.
He said: “In her report, the Ombudsman has said quite clearly that the government’s response to her findings was inadequate.
“The government have only committed to compensating a few policyholders rather than all.
“She has used strong language that says the government has twisted her findings. The government simply has to take responsibility for this and its suggestion that only partial compensation for some of the victims misses the point entirely.
“Either it is an injustice or it is not. If you are compensating some victims you should be compensating them all.”
Coun Crotty added: “Everyone who had invested their hard-earned money with Equitable Life has a story. Some people have lost their entire savings. There are around 1,100 Equitable Life policyholders in Warrington’s two constituencies and I was pleased to be able to bring Steve Webb here to let them know that there are MPs still in Parliament like Steve who are fighting for them on this issue.”
Pictured…Steve Webb and Jo Crotty at The Gateway