MPs call for action over disgraceful miners pensions, with some getting just £10 a month

An MP has called on the Government to reform mineworkers’ pensions.

Easington MP Grahame Morris accused ministers of neglecting deprived mining communities, with some retired miners receiving just £10 a month under the current scheme.

It comes after former miner will Bert Moncur, who worked at Murton Colliery from 1974 until its closure in 1991, headed a parade of 1,000 pit workers from Trafalgar Square this week in protest over the situation.

Since the privatisation of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme in 1994, the Government has received 50% of surpluses in its value, which amounts to £4.8billion.

In an emotional speech in Parliament, Mr Morris said coalfield communities have never fully recovered from de-industrialisation.

He told the Commons: “The Government have ignored and neglected our most deprived mining communities, far from levelling-up, Conservative ministers have widened economic inequality.”

Mr Morris added: “Low wealth in our region coincides with low wages, making my region in the North East the lowest paid region in the country.

“The Government could alleviate this in part by addressing past injustices and ensuring retirement security for mine workers and their widows, by reforming the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, in line with the (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) select committee recommendations that were published in April 2021.

“A legacy of mining is industrial disease, cutting lives short, including that of my own father and grandfather, both coalminers who passed away in their 50s before reaching retirement age.

“My father died in the belief that his pit pension would provide security for my ageing mother – who is incidentally celebrating her 88th birthday on Sunday.

“However, we do know that some pensioners receive as little as £10 a week from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme. Our miners created the wealth that made this country great, with the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme being amongst the UK’s largest pension funds.

“However money that should be used to provide security in retirement is being siphoned off by the Treasury, taking half of all the pension funds’ services.

“In a Parliamentary response to me dated December, ministers confirmed they had taken £4.8billion… out of the pension scheme.”

He continued: “This money should be used to enhance pensions, it wouldn’t only provide extra security in retirement, but would support our local economies, coalfield communities, employment, and small businesses.

“This is due to the vast majority of retired miners and their widows continuing to live in our coalfield communities. The moral case for reform is only strengthened by an unfulfilled promise of a disgraced former prime minister.”

Mr Morris urged his Labour frontbench to commit to pension justice at “the earliest opportunity”.

He also argued that it is “imperative that ministers commit to uncovering the truth” four decades on from the miners’ strike, adding: “The policing of the strike was notorious, marked by perjury, fabricated evidence, willingly accepted in the Government’s war on the mines.”

Later in the debate, Conservative MP Paul Howell, who represents Sedgefield, said mining villages had been left behind by low connectivity, adding: “How can residents aspire to social mobility, if they don’t even have the physical mobility to reach better jobs.”

Labour MP Ian Lavery said he believes he is the only MP that is currently a member of the mine workers’ pension scheme.

The Wansbeck representative said: “The mine workers pension scheme, it’s deferred wages, any pension is deferred wages, and that’s to be recognised. The 50/50 split came in 1994, it was a crime. 4.4 billion plus syphoned off, trousered by the Tory Government.”

Emma Lewell-Buck, Labour MP for South Shields, said the Government is “pocketing the miners’ pension surplus”.

She said: “Over £4billion has been given to the Government, 420 million in the last three years alone. The Government keeps saying we need to strike a fair balance. There’s nothing fair about this at all when miners and their widows are left destitute on as little as £18 per week.

“Although we shouldn’t be surprised, as the Waspi women know all too well, this Government has form when it comes to pension grabbing.”

Labour former Minister and North Durham MP Kevan Jones branded the levelling-up scheme a “con”, adding: “The idea you can actually argue that you take the needs-based element out of this is absolutely disgraceful.

“And the idea that you can somehow con people into thinking that if you give an odd £20 million here or there, that can replace the hundreds of millions of pounds that coalfield areas have lost in terms of both local government funding, (European Regional Development Fund) and others, I think is just a con.”

On the miners’ strike, SNP frontbencher Owen Thompson said: “We need to understand, our communities need to understand what political influence was exerted at that time, and what political interference there was at that time into the actions and decision of Thatcher’s government.”

Shadow Communities Minister Liz Twist said: “The Labour party has long supported a full investigation or inquiry into events at Orgreave, and we are committed to putting a new Hillsborough law on to the statute book to prevent future injustices. I hope the minister shares my conviction that the truth must be heard.”

Communities Minister Lee Rowley told MPs that “Labour do not own the story of mining in our country”, adding: “Labour do not get to disregard the settled pension arrangements, arrangements defended by the Labour party for 13 years when they were on this side of the House.”

Mr Rowley accepted “there is more to do on levelling-up”, adding: “We have always indicated that levelling up was a long term initiative which will take time to work, but at least this Government has made progress.”

He continued: “Mining communities have had a significant amount of attention from this Government, and I’m extremely proud to represent a mining community in doing so.”