It was somewhat ironic to read in the other week's News & Mail that the same Liberal Democrat councillor who backed the enormous council loans for Victoria Square a few years ago and the recent 10% council tax rise, which is set to pinch the wallets of all Woking residents, including pensioners, take a pop at the Government over its treatment of pensioners.

In any case, here are just a few highlights as to how the Conservatives have given outstanding support to our pensioners over recent times.

We have protected the Triple Lock we introduced in 2011 and will uprate the state pension by 8.5 % in April, meaning pensioners will receive up to £900 more a year.

From April 1, we will have increased the basic state pension by £3,700 since 2010 in cash terms, ensuring pensioners have the income they need to live in dignity thanks to the Triple Lock.

Since 2010, there are 200,000 fewer pensioners living in absolute poverty after housing costs.

We have delivered nearly 12 million winter fuel payments and pensioner cost of living payments to pensioners this winter. Nearly 12 million payments, worth £4.8 billion, have been made to pensioners, providing vulnerable households up to £600 to help with their energy bill this winter.

We have driven up applications for pension credit by 73% in just 12 months. Pension credit unlocks support of up to £3,300 and can help access other support such as NHS dental treatment and a free TV licence for over 75s.

We have abolished the pensions lifetime tax allowance, incentivising more experienced workers, including GPs to stay in work for longer and have protected over 80% of NHS doctors from receiving a tax charge on their pension.

We have introduced and expanded automatic enrolment into a workplace pension, helping 20 million more people start saving for retirement.

We have provided a simpler state pension, recognising the years spent at home raising a family. By 2030, over three million women stand to gain an average of £550 more per year as a result of our changes.

We have delivered wide-ranging pension reforms that will see the typical pension boosted by £1,000 a year, helping people save for their retirement. The Chancellor’s “Mansion House Reforms” could unlock an additional £75 billion for high-growth businesses, while reforms to defined contribution pension schemes will increase a typical earner's pension pot by 12% over the course of a career.

Despite the difficult economic inheritance of the Government after the global financial crash and, more recently, the huge economic dislocations caused by Covid and the war in Ukraine, I am proud that the Government has gone out of its way to protect pensioners and to increase their incomes in real terms.

Given the enormous contribution that our senior citizens have made to our country, I personally will be supporting fair treatment for them into the future as well.