Save our Freedom Pass!

3.55.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 17th Sep 2009

Senior citizens at the St. Luke's Centre say - Save our Freedom Pass!

Moves by the Labour government to axe Islington pensioners' free travel have been exposed by local Liberal Democrats who have launched a massive campaign alongside pensioners from all across Islington to fight Labour's plans.

Pensioners at Sotheby Mews Day Centre say - Save our Freedom Pass!

Following the recent launch of the national free bus travel scheme, the Labour government failed to fund it properly and now faces a huge financial black hole. To plug the gap the Government is threatening to take £50 million away from London's Freedom Pass scheme so that Islington's elderly only get what the rest of the nation's pensioners get - free bus travel.

Former Mayor of Islington Margot Dunn says - Save our Freedom Pass!

Islington's Liberal Democrat leader has already written to the borough's two Labour MPs and the Transport Minister challenging them to disown the plan to axe the Freedom Pass. But Islington's two MPs have failed to answer and have also failed to raise any objections with their own Government.

Liberal Democrat Council Leader Terry Stacy said:

"Axing the Freedom Pass is a cut too far by the Labour government. Islington's elderly should not have to suffer just because Labour got its sums wrong on their national free bus travel scheme.

"To add insult to injury Islington's two Labour MPs haven't even bothered to respond to my call to save the Freedom Pass. Nor have they even bothered to try and halt the plan in its tracks by bending the Minister's ear.

"Islington's pensioners must be asking what's the point of having Labour MPs in Islington?"