Lord Mandelson must remain loyal to EU to guarantee pension

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... nsion.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lord Mandelson is not allowed to criticise the European Union if he wants to keep hold of his £31,000-a-year pension as a former European Commissioner, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

Critics say the requirement to remain loyal to his former employer means the Business Secretary could be unable to stand up for British interests in disputes with Brussels.

It comes amid growing pressure on Lord Mandelson to reveal the identity of the trustees who have been appointed to manage the "blind trust" which now controls his financial interests.

One of the three disclosures he made in the register of ministers' interests last week was that he will receive "a European Commission pension at the age of 65".

Lord Mandelson is entitled to the cash because he was the EU's trade commissioner from November 2004 to the middle of last year.

Under the terms of the deal, he will receive an index-linked pension of £31,000 a year when he turns 65. The cost of buying such a deal on the private market would be £550,000.

This is in addition to more than £234,000 of "top-up" salary payments and a £15,000 resettlement fee which he will receive over the next three years.

However, European Union rules show that if he speaks out against Europe as a former Commissioner he could be stripped of his pension altogether.

Documents seen by campaigners show that Lord Mandelson and other Commissioners have to abide by certain obligations "both during and after their term of office".

One of these obligations as a staff member of the Commission is to maintain a "duty of loyalty to the Communities".

The rules also note that "an official has the right to freedom of expression, with due respect to the principles of loyalty and impartiality".

If they fail to demonstrate loyalty to the EU, Lord Mandelson can be "deprived of his right to a pension or other benefits", the rules say.

The TaxPayers' Alliance, the campaign group that has uncovered the threat to his pension, said Lord Mandelson had to resolve this "conflict of interest".

It said: "The specific EU regulations are more than enough to demonstrate that conflict of interest is very real beyond doubt.

"When one considers that his new ministerial post deals specifically with Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform – all areas that are intimately involved with EU legislation, regulation and policy – the conflict of interest is even more stark."

Matthew Elliott, the alliance's chief executive, added: "It is wrong that Peter Mandelson is effectively being paid to support the Euro and the Lisbon Treaty.

"His EU pension is conditional on continuing to support to EU integration, which is not what the public wants.

"This financial interest means that his loyalties are to Brussels, not Britain. He must declare the conflict of interest and either relinquish his EU pay cheques or resign as a minister."

A spokesman for Lord Mandelson said with most pension providers there were "undertakings that don't bring the organisation paying the pension into disrepute".

He added: "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."

[k979aaa]

So this and other things explain why he so entrenched in his i know what is best for the royalmail it is because he cannot say for the sake of losing his pension of £31,000 a year that the uk's postal market has been raped by the other postal market nations of Europe which have not opened up their postal markets!. IT SICKENS ME TOO SEE THAT :mfo HAS HIS OWN INTERESTS ABOVE THOSE OF OUR NATIONS POSTAL SERVICE AND IN LIGHT OF THIS THE UK POSTIE NOW HAS TOO WORK FIVE YEARS MORE JUST TOO KEEP THEIR PENSION AND NOT LOSE IT!. :mfo

[johnsouthwales]

fek me.. 31 grand a year pension.. he was only there for five minutes lolllll.

[Broxi51]

fek me.. 31 grand a year pension.. he was only there for five minutes lolllll.

Should have had sir fred goodwin advising him

[norbert]

fek me.. 31 grand a year pension.. he was only there for five minutes lolllll.

he got a £270,000 relocation payment for coming out of the EEC , he's not only hated & despised within the PO but within New Liebour too . I'm sure the sight impaired , Caledonian chappie known for dubious decisions ( according to " admirer " Jeremy Clarkson ) only brought him back to take the pressure off himself

:mfo will be in trouble again , he just can't help himself , he's not the Prince / Old Queen of Darkness , more of a Del Boy or Arthur Daley type :mfo

[k979aaa]

fek me.. 31 grand a year pension.. he was only there for five minutes lolllll.

he got a £270,000 relocation payment for coming out of the EEC , he's not only hated & despised within the PO but within New Liebour too . I'm sure the sight impaired , Caledonian chappie known for dubious decisions ( according to " admirer " Jeremy Clarkson ) only brought him back to take the pressure off himself

:mfo will be in trouble again , he just can't help himself , he's not the Prince / Old Queen of Darkness , more of a Del Boy or Arthur Daley type :mfo

You mean the one eyed monster from loch ness bought back :mfo so he could disappear!. Did he get a ring side seat or any jolly old Rodgers!. Now he is plumbing the depths of hope and faith and loyalty!.