AS I said in my letter of August 27, "I must point out another important event in the campaign for pensioners' rights that again was totally ignored by the mass media."

On Saturday, 10,000 pensioners and their supporters marched through London to a mass rally in Trafalgar Square. They were addressed by speakers such as Barbara Castle, Jimmy Knapp of the railway workers union, editor of the Observer, Will Hutton and Labour MPs Ken Livingstone and Trevor Philips.

Barbara Castle told the rally that pensioners would enjoy a basic state pension of £93 today if the link between earnings and pensions were restored, compared with the present pension of £66.75.

"A substantial increase in the basic pension is needed as soon as possible - this generation has no time to lose," she said.

Jimmy Knapp urged Gordon Brown to crack open his bulging Treasury war chest to give yesterday's workers a retirement of "relaxation and enjoyment rather than poverty and worry."

Will Hutton said the Treasury would have £60 billion spare cash to spend over the next five years.

Mr Hutton said a pension was "a dividend for being a citizen of these islands. There must be no requirements to show you need it, no requirement to be poor. You have it because you are British and you're old."

So, once again we get two seconds on TV news.

P. KAISERMAN,

Vice chairman,

Bury Pensioners

Association.

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