ONE Sunday last month I was watching The Politics Show on TV when one of the presenters wound up by saying, in a roundabout way, that one burden would be funding the extra costs for a population that is living longer.

The word ‘burden’ was actually used. I was disgusted.

I ask you this: were today’s elderly people a burden when they were fighting two world wars?

Were they a burden when many of them from the age of 14 worked very many hours for little pay?

These people paid their way, unlike today’s work-shy who live off this nanny state.

As far as I am concerned, the burdens of this country are the MPs, the bankers, the work-shy and our stupid discrimination laws that let all and sundry live here at huge cost to the country.

So stop knocking our elderly – they have done more than their bit, yet are treated badly with the worst pensions in Europe and shown no respect by whichever government is in power.

H HAMER, Blackburn.