That’s where the government does WHAT? - 2 March 2009 |
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Deputy Prime Minister Harriet Harman has upped the stakes in the ongoing Fred Goodwin pension saga. Sir Fred is apparently entitled to a whopping £600,000+ p/a pension after retiring from RBS, where he spearheaded the Bank’s disastrous takeover of ABN Amro, leaving the British taxpayer (who now owns around 70% of RBS – congratulations) to clear up the mess.
Commentators left and right have been queueing up to gripe at Freddie’s ‘greed’, and Harriet has jumped onto the bandwagon with both feet and an almighty great thump.
Here’s what our Dep MP says:
The Prime Minister has said it is not acceptable and therefore it will not be accepted. It might be enforceable in a court of law, this contract, but it’s not enforceable in the court of public opinion and that’s where the Government steps in.
Check out the logic here: Irrespective of whether Goodwin is legally entitled to keep his pension, this state of affairs ‘will not be accepted’ on the grounds that ‘the Prime Minister has said it is not acceptable’. This, we are told, is ‘where the government steps in’ – not to enforce the law, but to break it (or at least bend it) at the whim of the PM.
Feeling uncomfortable yet?
On an unrelated note, Gordon Brown is out of the country this week, addressing the US Congress. Guess who steps in as acting PM in his absence?
Anyway, back to (deputy PM) Harriet Harman – let’s have a little biblical light on the subject:
You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. (Deuteronomy 1:17)
You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. (Exodus 23:2)
You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice (Exodus 23:2)
You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbour. (Leviticus 19:15)
Huh.
Posted by Steve Jeffery · Topics: Current affairs, Minister's Blog