Not even Gordon Brown has been brazen enough (yet?) to confiscate the pensions of anyone that dares to criticise his disaster of a premiership.

Imagine the situation. You’ve paid into a pension scheme and then just because the pension company don’t agree with your politics then your pension is taken away. So much for free speech, so much for your pension “rights”. You might think it’s unfair to do this. After all there are enough people dipping into your pension pot without making it a condition of collecting your money that you are politically reliable. Not even Gordon Brown has been brazen enough (yet?) to confiscate the pensions of anyone that dares to criticise his disaster of a premiership.

However, Peter Mandelson cannot criticise the European Union unless he wants to risk his £31,000-a-year pension as a former European Commissioner. To buy that level of index linked pension on the open market would be £550,000. Unfortunately for Lord Mandelson European Union rules show that if he speaks out against Europe as a former Commissioner he could be stripped of his pension altogether as Lord Mandelson (and other Commissioners) has to comply with EU Rules both during and after their term of office. One of these rules places an obligation on former staff member of the Commission is to maintain a duty of loyalty to the Communities.

It is bad enough that such gagging orders exist for people drawing EU Pensions, but it is even worse when the individual concerned is still an active member of the British Government. Lord Mandelson’s British Government post deals specifically with Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, an area that is closely involved with EU legislation, regulation and policy. In the event of a conflict between British Interests and EU Directives then Lord Mandelson’s financial interest means that his loyalties are to Brussels, not Britain. Mandelson must place the EU above the UK if he wants to retain his pension.

Apparently a spokesman for Lord Mandelson claimed that "Peter Mandelson does not see a contradiction between British patriotism and EU loyalty.”He has always had a clear view of British interests and how they are secured by our EU membership”.


That’s OK then. No conflict there! If it’s good for the EU then it’s good for Britain. Does anyone actually believe that? Nice to know that one of the people elected to look after our interests are being paid by a foreign government. Ah but of course Mandelson isn’t elected to his present post, he was “appointed” and therefore doesn’t have all that troublesome “democracy” rubbish to hold him accountable to the British Public anymore.

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/4996440/Lord-Mandelson-must-remain-loyal-to-EU-to-guarantee-pension.html)