Pensioner's fury at gift from Gordon Brown

TO the tune Happy Birthday, Army veteran James James pulled a cracker with his wife and wondered how he'd spend his present from Gordon Brown.

With the lavish expenses of our MPs exposed, and now those of our Lords in question, the paltry 25p awarded to Mr James came as "an insult".

After a life-time of hard work, the pitiful top-up in his weekly pension can't even buy him a stamp, so he has asked our readers how he should spend it.

Mr James, who turned 80 last month, said: "You can't even buy a paper with it. It's an insult, especially with all those MPs and the expenses they were claiming.

"A rise like this is like rubbing salt into the wound and is an insult to all pensioners, so I welcome advice from your readers as to how I should spend it."

Mr James, of Atherfield Road, Woodhatch, was conscripted into the Army aged 18, serving in Palestine and Egypt.

He left the forces for a career in the railways, picking up where he left off after leaving school. He worked as a railway supervisor at Gatwick Airport before he retired.

"A lot of pensioners know about it – when you turn 80 you get this increase of 25p – and many have complained.

"I knew it was forthcoming.

"It's pretty pathetic, especially coming at a time when Crispin Blunt was claiming expenses for his flagpole. I think it's a disgrace."

Last month The Mirror exposed how the Reigate MP bought a flagpole for his office, in June 2007, for £88 and reclaimed the cost.

Among other items claimed were a pair of travel hairdryers, a beer and wine fridge, having his oven fixed and felling an ash tree.

Mr James, married to former receptionist Doris, 74, for 57 years, said although his pension covered his day-to-day living expenses, luxuries were out of the question and renovating his three-bedroom house, bought in 1955, was not an option.

"We would like to paint the outside of the house and do up the bathroom, but we can't afford it because we're a bit hard up."

The couple , who have two children, four grandchildren and two great- grandchildren., have lived in their property for 54 years.

Mr James said: "I just felt like I wanted to express my views. It just doesn't seem right."