TWO election candidates have turned to the older generation in their final push for votes.

Conservative candidate Rene Kinzett visited Maxime Court retirement home in Sketty yesterday to sign his party's "pensioners pledge".

And his Liberal Democrat counterpart, Peter May, has also been highlighting pensions as the election race nears its conclusion.

The Swansea West constituency candidate said the Conservatives had the most to offer retired people.

He said: "We are looking at a fair deal for pensioners. It is about dignity in retirement.

"Pensioners have been let down by Labour ever since the measly rise in pensions under this government.

Age

"We want to re-link pensions with average earnings."

Councillor Kinzett added that a Conservative government would also raise the minimum pension as well.

"We are the only party to have put these proposals forward with affordability plan, and we will do it by raising the age at which people retire from 65 to 66," he said.

Councillor May said the Lib Dems planned to restore the link between basic state pension and earnings immediately and increase the state pension annually by whichever was the higher of earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent.

He said "Older people have worked hard and contributed to our society.

"It is only right that they deserve a pension that's enough to live on and fair treatment from government, public services and businesses. They deserve a fair deal."

"It is unfair that as each year goes by, pensioners slip further behind. It is only fair that, at times when the country is getting richer, retired people share the benefit.

Councillor Kinzett added that his party were furious at Labour comments over the Tories' plans for pensioners.

"We are very angry about the Labour lies — and we are using the word 'lies'," he said.

Travel

"The winter fuel allowance, free TV licences, free bus passes and pension credits are safe under the Conservatives."

Councillor Kinzett added that the Tories were also planning to extend the free bus travel for pensioners to rail travel.

On restoring the pensions link to earnings, the candidate said it had been a mistake for the previous Conservative government to sever this link — but added that many pensioners did quite well in the following years.

He said: "I think personally it was a mistake, but we lived in a time of relatively high inflation in the 1980s and 1990s, and pensioners did well because of that link.

"Now we are looking at a time of relatively low inflation by historical standards."