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TORY CANDIDATE SAYS PENSIONERS SHOULD SWEEP STREETS A suggestion that pensioners could sweep streets for “a few extra quid”, made by Conservative prospective Parliamentary candidate Gordon Henderson, has been greeted with anger and disbelief by Kent Labour. Henderson – who hopes to contest the Sittingbourne & Sheppey Parliamentary seat for the Conservatives at the next General Election – made his comments on his local party website. Saying that local authorities should take a “new approach” to cleaning up neighbourhoods, Henderson went on to say: “One way might be for local authorities to employ pensioners for a few hours each week to keep their own street and alley clean and free of weeds. I am sure there are pensioners out there who would be delighted to earn a few extra quid and at the same time keep their street clean and tidy”. Labour Shadow Leader of KCC Mike Eddy said: “Henderson’s comments are outrageous. “Conservative-controlled KCC put up domiciliary care charges last year, now Sittingbourne & Sheppey Conservatives are going around saying the elderly should sweep streets for pin money. “It just shows that the Conservatives have no respect for the older generation at all”. Labour County Councillor for Sheerness Angela Harrison added: “If Conservative-controlled Swale Borough Council did its job properly, there wouldn’t be any rubbish on Sheppey’s streets and alleys in the first place. “Suggesting that the elderly should be bunged a few extra quid for doing the work of the local council is typical of a Tory – everything done on the cheap, with no respect for people’s dignity. “If this is what the Conservatives are like when they’re on their best behaviour in the lead-up to an election, just imagine what they’d be like in power”.
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