‘Big-hitter’ backing pleases Equitable campaigners
By politics.co.uk staff
A leading campaigner for Equitable Life policyholders has predicted a Commons motion backing Ann Abraham will receive an “unprecedented” level of support.
The parliamentary ombudsman yesterday laid before MPs a follow-up report signalling her frustration with the government’s refusal to fully compensate those who lost out as a result of regulatory failures.
Paul Braithwaite, general secretary of the Equitable Members Action Group, has welcomed an early day motion tabled by Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable in response.
Among its signatories are Labour MP Tony Wright, chair of the influential public administration select committee, and Conservative policy review chairman Oliver Letwin.
“I was very pleased it drew in Tony Wright and Ollie Letwin,” Mr Braithwaite told politics.co.uk.
“As co-sponsors we’ve got heavy hitters from all three parties. The wording is pretty strong in terms of supporting parliament’s own ombudsman.”
Overnight the number of MPs supporting the EDM jumped from 12 to 36 signatures. It notes the ombudsman’s “unusual step” of alerting parliament and calls on the government to “accept the recommendations of the ombudsman on compensating policyholders who have suffered loss”.
“I think it’ll get an unprecedented level of support for an EDM, especially on a subject that’s been pestering for nine years,” Mr Braithwaite added.
He said the “renewed vigour” on the issue was “really quite heartening”, saying: “You’d have though after all this time our will would be weak, but we’ve got more members now than ever before. I put that down to outrage.”
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