30 March 2009
Pressure on the Government to compensate all of the million-plus
victims of Equitable Life will intensify this week with the
formation of an all-party Parliamentary group.
The Justice for Equitable Life Policyholders Parliamentary
Group, formed by Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, Daniel
Kawczynski, will hold its first meeting on Wednesday.
The group, made up of ten Labour, six Conservative and four Lib
Dem MPs, believes the Government is wrong to refuse to make good
the losses policyholders suffered as a result of Equitable Life's
flirtation with administration back in 2000.
The Government has promised to help only those policyholders
facing financial hardship, despite pressure from the Parliamentary
Ombudsman and the Public Administration Select Committee to pay all
victims.
Paul Braithwaite of the Equitable Members' Action Group (Emag)
welcomes the formation of the group. Emag has persuaded many MPs to
back its campaign for compensation and yesterday, it held a meeting
in Redditch, Worcestershire, attended by local MPs. Its next
meeting is on Friday in Ipswich.
