Dame Joan Bakewell has stepped down as the Voice of Older People, just two years after she was appointed to the role. The Telegraph reports that she is calling on MPs to create a different and more powerful role in England, similar to the Welsh Older People’s Commissioner. The Welsh role carries considerable statutory powers to protect the rights of older people in Wales, whilst Dame Joan’s role was limited to listening to older people’s concerns and raising them with the appropriate authorities. In a statement announcing her resignation as the Voice of Older People, she describes how the role has gained a much wider scope than anticipated: ‘It became clear that older people have a great range of concerns…There remain many issues – pensions, social care, retirement age – which will continue to be of significance for more and more people as our population ages. I believe it is now time for the next Government to consider appointing a full-time Commissioner for Older People.’ The Welsh Commissioner for Older People, Ruth Marks, echoed Dame Joan’s call for an English counterpart to her role, commenting: ‘I have legal powers set out by an Act of Parliament…which enable me to more effectively safeguard the rights of older people and review the laws affecting them.’
In a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by new charity Age UK, 78% of people aged over 60 said that they don’t believe that older people’s voices are heard by society. There are now more people aged over 60 in the UK – almost 20% – than there are aged under 18, according to Age UK.
