On Friday the second reading took place in the House of Lords on the European Union Membership (Economic Implications) Bill proposed by Lord Pearson of Rannoch. The debate can be viewed here. It merited mention in the Economic Voice today - unfortunately I did not see one mention in the Sunday Telegraph, a supposedly eurosceptic newspaper (so they would have us believe.
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And what's your reading of the reading, WfromW?
Readers may like to know this.
There is a cabal of former EU Commissioners and EU employees in the Lords who receive lavish EU pensions which are conditional on their never saying or doing anything against the interests of the EU. (Of course, Mr. Clegg in the other place also has such pension rights from his time as an EU civil servant).
Some noble lords thought that this was an interest which should be declared. The members' interests committee , which included a former Lord Chief Justice, agreed. But the recipients in receipt of these conditional pensions from a foreign power took their case to the committee of privileges which decided that it was quite unnecessary to declare this interest before speaking on matters relating to the EU.
The noble lord who told me of this was absolutely incandescent with indignation.
JH: It will fall at the next hurdle......
ES: I know, I know. Perhaps I should have mentioned that in the post - I presume people know. To paraphrase a quote: Well they do now!
Watching the articulate Lord Pearson speaking in the House who could fail to be impressed by his quiet resolution and charming manners. More public exposure to this perfect gentleman would do the UKIP cause a power of good but, as demonstrated during his brief leadership, it takes a Farage to face up to the likes of Paxman and Sopel.
k: Pearson is indeed a gentleman, but as I have said before 'gentlemen' don't succeed in the front line of politics and if they do it is rare. Possibly the last one was Powell?
It was Enoch Powell himself who said
"All political careers end in failure"
Of course, his classical education gave him a rather Stoic outlook on life. Thomas Hardy or A.E. Housman were quite cheery chaps by comparison.
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