CONSERVATIVE plans to privatise state pensions are unravelling badly, claims Pendle Labour candidate Gordon Prentice.

"The Tories have still not cleaned up the scandal of mis-sold pensions," he said.

"Only 7,000 of 600,000 victims have been compensated and 18,000 people have died while waiting.

"The Tories have no proposals to tackle the problem of unfair fees and charges and they have no idea how they will pay for their pension plans.

"The figures just don't add up."

He added: "By contrast, Labour has a clear programme for giving people security in retirement.

"We have renewed our commitment to the basic state pension.

"We will create a new framework of second "stakeholder" pensions to give people on low and modest incomes a good-value second pension."

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