Liverpool Liberal Party

Liverpool City Council Calls for Pension Rights for unmarried couples...

At the City Council on 15th October the following Liberal Party Resolution was passed unanimously:-

"This city council welcomes the introduction of a civic partnership register in neighbouring Sefton.

This council requests the Executive Member for Resources to initiate discussions with our partner councils on the Merseyside Superannuation Fund to ensure single employees may nominate another dependent to receive the entitlement of a married partner".

The motion was sponsored by Liberal Party Councillors Steve Radford, Hazel Williams and Chris Lenton.

Speaking to the motion, Liberal Party Cllr Steve Radford ,said he wanted the councils pension funds to provide pension protection to non -married partners, irrespective whether the relationship was a gay couple, lesbian or unmarried heterosexuals, he said that major employers like BT and Marconi had this sort of provision for decades whilst councils and other public sector pension funds was living in a time trap.

Cllr Steve Radford said that The Liberal Party had raised this issue nationally in the current DTI consultation, but at a local level he wanted councils to take steps over and beyond any legislation if need be He said he was pleased legislation may assist gay and lesbian couples, but he felt that there should be equal rights for heterosexual unmarried couples who were left out of the proposals.
This issue is about human need not concepts of family which were over idealistic and dated in the modern world.