IT is pretty rich (pun intended) for the 800 unelected members of the House of Lords to propose putting an end to free bus passes, free TV licences and winter fuel payments for the elderly - and also do away with guaranteed pension increases.

The Lords, of course, most of whom are pretty wealthy in their own right, qualify for a £300 a day ‘attendance’ allowance plus travel expenses! Indeed they only have to turn up and ‘clock on’ - it doesn’t matter how long they actually stay.

According to the sanctimonious not-so-noble members of the Upper House, stripping the elderly of their ‘rewards’ for a lifetime of hard graft would make society fairer for the younger generation.

Adding insult to injury they claim that pensioners are now too well off to need the allowances!

Here’s a much better idea of how to make society fairer for everyone - abolish the Lords and replace it with an elected upper chamber whose members would perhaps feel obliged to do some real work for their rewards.

ROBERT READMAN

Norwich Avenue West, Bournemouth