A Liberal Democrat councillor told a group of pensioners that they had a duty to call for a better world for their grandchildren.

Speaking to residents of Eccles Court at their annual general meeting, Councillor Geoff Reid (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) said: “In hard times it is tempting for politicians to hark back to ‘good old days’ and this simply is not good enough.

“We have to get out of recession and it may well take longer than we would wish. Recovery will not be a return to business as usual. For our grandchildren to live in a civilised society we cannot rely on ever-increasing growth.”

“Pensioners have a right and a duty to express their mind about the sort of world they want for their grandchildren.”