What is a Flexible State Pension Age?

Anyone seeking to understand what Labour means by a "Flexible Pension Age" needs to look back at what Jeremy Corbyn wrote in the Telegraph in 2015.

It was on plans in train to increase state pension age to 66, 67 and eventually 68. (And now there's talk of 69 and 70...)

"Some people will be happy to work longer, others not. But living longer doesn’t mean we are able to work longer in physically demanding jobs like that of the firefighter, police officer or paramedic. And it’s not just in the emergency services: construction workers, care workers and prison officers cannot be expected to work into their late 60s.

So we need a flexible pension age that allows people to work for as long as they want to, while also recognising that for many people the nature of their work, their health, or their disability may not allow that.

Increasing the state pension age to 68 does not recognise this reality. It will mean that those who have worked in well-paid jobs with good pensions will continue to take early retirement, while lower-paid workers with the least savings will have to work until they drop. It will create a two-tier system in which the fortunate few can retire into long contentment, while increasing numbers retire later in poor health and poverty."

Outrage over shops already rejecting old fivers

Can a shop reject your old paper fiver before it ceases to be legal tender at midnight tonight?
I just heard from an irate shopper who had been given an old fiver as change in a supermarket, then had it rejected in a coffee shop and then rejected again in an organic grocer's.
It looks like there are a few cases of traders not wanting the hassle of dealing with defunct £5 notes now they're on the way out.

Can a traders reject your old fiver already?

The answer is yes! It's up to the shop what they can accept.
They can reject £50 notes if they don't like the look of them.
Equally, they can accept magic beans for currency if they want, or chocolates, or gig tickets - whatever you agree with them.
The acceptability of notes is entirely between the two people involved in the transaction.

So what's the point of saying it's no longer legal tender?

Legal tender is a tricky concept. It means that the money being offered is good for paying a debt.
Someone to whom you owed money could reject magic beans as a payment, but not legal tender.
And a court would back you if you paid with legal tender.
Tonight the old Elizabeth Fry fiver stops having that unassailable legal status.

The Bank of England says, “It means that if you are in debt to someone then you can’t be sued for non-payment if you offer full payment of your debts in legal tender.” Here's the Bank's brief.

Can stores carry on accepting old £5 notes if they want to?

They certainly can.
Any supermarket, High Street shop or market stall can take an old note from you next week and for the forseeable future, if they are feeling nice.
First of all, it's up to them what they accept.
Second, they are likely to be able to deposit an outdated paper fiver at their bank for months, if not longer.
And the Bank of England will accept old fivers "for all time". Here's how you take them back.