campaigning


End of an era for the NPC


Jenny Sims reports on changes at the National Pensioners Convention


F


or years, the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) has been struggling financially. To survive, affiliates


including the NUJ agreed to a special meeting to vote on its dissolution and enable it to go forward as a company limited by guarantee. It was a sad day but an inevitable one, as money and time had run out, leaders told the meeting in February. More than 120 delegates, including three from the NUJ, voted: 97 for and 24 against, with no abstentions. It’s likely that many who voted in


favour were reluctant, expressing concerns about the lack of clarity about the democracy, transparency and accountability of the future company. But their fundamental belief in the need for the NPC to continue as the biggest nationwide organisation representing older people and promises by national officers that the legacy values of Jack Jones would be maintained won them over. Jones created the NPC, a network of union retired members’ associations and pensioner groups, when he retired because there was no single national organisation representing pensioners’ interests at the time. The first convention, held in Central Hall, Westminster, was attended by about 2,500 older people. The NPC has played an important role


in lobbying the government regularly on issues affecting older people, including


08 | theJournalist


state pensions, health and social care, and universal benefits. Its successes include helping secure


the introduction of the free bus pass, the winter fuel allowance, reduced VAT on fuel and changes so state pensions are not stopped after a short hospital stay. It held many rallies and demonstrations, and used to draw thousands to its annual Pensioners’ Parliament in Blackpool. In recent years, numbers dropped to hundreds and just annual general meetings were held. Over time, the NPC has grown to work in partnership with other major bodies including Age UK, Independent Age and the Centre for Ageing Better. Current campaigns include safeguarding the triple lock, restoring the winter fuel allowance for all pensioners, calling for a national care service in England and the creation of a commissioner for older people and ageing in England (Wales and Northern Ireland have had such commissioners for many years). The NUJ joined as an affiliate in 1999


and has played an active role, electing NUJ members to the NPC’s executive, and sending attendees to its biennial delegate conference (BDC) and other meetings. The NPC’s digital inclusion campaign,


Connections for All, and the creation of a digital working party were the results of a NUJ motion at its BDC early in 2019. NUJ 60+ council members continue


to play an active role in that campaign and the digital working party as well as


Visitors to the delegate meeting in Blackpool: rally against cuts to winter fuel payments


GUY BELL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO


both the pensions and housing working parties. Last year, the NUJ


contributed to the NPC’s consultation, Need for Change: the Next Steps, on its proposals for how the limited


company would be structured and run. We challenged several proposals over


“


lack of clarity, openness, accountability of the board to members and, indeed, who the members were to be. The NPC had promised to revise its proposals from an analysis of all the responses from union and regional affiliates, local groups and individual members before a meeting on dissolution was to be held. But that never happened – time ran out as the NPC faced insolvency in 2026. Reasons given were that union mergers had reduced affiliation membership so fees had been loss, and fundraising had been only mildly successful. The final nail in the coffin was the news that Age UK would no longer be able to donate £35,000 a year – if anything. NPC staff were made redundant at the end of January. While the vote for dissolution may


Its successes include helping secure the introduction of the free bus pass, the winter fuel allowance and reduced VAT on fuel


have saved the NPC from bankruptcy, the failure to provide any proposals beforehand for the structure and function of the company may have unintended consequences – including further loss of affiliate members. An AI summary of responses to the


consultation produced by an NPC West Midlands member found a strong commitment to the NPC’s campaigning role and survival but concerns about democracy, accountability and affiliate representation being weakened.


CHRISTOPHER THOMOND/GUARDIAN/EYEVINE


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