 Ros Altmann writes:
I call on Gordon Brown to accept the findings of this independent report, admit to mistakes that he has made on pensions policy and demonstrate whether he has the leadership qualities necessary to tackle a national crisis. An independent verdict says the Government is guilty of betraying 85000 families - innocent victims of broken promises and a betrayal of trust.
If the Chancellor decides to continue to defy Parliament's own Ombudsman, then we hope the House of Commons and all duly elected Members of Parliament will hold Government to account for its actions. If our Parliamentary democracy is to mean anything, then justice must be done here.
There are so many dreadful indictments of Government in this Report that it is hard to know which to single out. The basic message that comes through loud and clear is that Government says one thing, that it thinks will sound good to the public, but then does something different in practice, without telling people that it is not actually doing what it said it was. I would point to the following in particular, but read the report and judge for yourself:
• The MFR was only originally designed to give a 50/50 chance of full pensions, but Parliament and the public were never told this!
• The Government decided members needed to believe their pensions were secure, and it should help employers fund pensions as cheaply as possible, so it decided to tell members their pensions were safe, even though they were not.
• Government told the public it was issuing information to help them understand the most important issues about pensions from a source they could trust, but then betrayed that trust by not including the most important information about lack of security
• Ministers misled Parliament over their handling of member security
• The FSA believes that there is more than one meaning of the word 'guarantee' and that it does not necessarily mean 'guarantee' as everyone else knows it!
• When faced with the consequences of its own actions, Government tried to blame everyone else and fails to accept its own responsibility
• The decent 'silent majority' of good people in this country, who trust their Government, believe official information, try to do what they are told and look after themselves and their families have been betrayed
• While Government and officials were increasing their own pensions, they were reducing the security of final salary schemes for everyone else, but decided not to tell members the truth.
The case is now also subject to a judicial review - see press release. (14/6/06)
More: The House of Commons Public Adminisration Committee Report
Also:
The Government's Response and its Rebuttal
Ros Altmann's full statement on the PO's Report
Parliamentary Ombudsman's Report
BBC's report, 15 March
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