Friday 25 March 2011

Den Dover's MEP pension

From The Metro:

Mr Dover, who represented the North West England region, was expelled from the Conservative Party in November 2008 for gross misconduct after the European Parliament demanded repayment of £538,000 in illegal claims.

The money included £100,000 for three cars, £100,000 for rent and renovation costs for Mr Dover’s office – part of his Hertfordshire home – £89,000 for postage and stationery, £21,000 in telephone services, £17,500 in ‘entertainment expenses’ and £15,000 for office supplies.

A total of £959,000 went to a company called MP Holdings Ltd, which names Mr Dover’s wife, Kathleen, and daughter, Amanda, as directors...


So far, so bad...

Metro has learned he will continue to get his £235,000 MEP’s pension for his ten years’ service, which is being paid for by the British taxpayer through the Cabinet Office. ‘EU pensions are non-retractable,’ a Cabinet Officer spokesman said.

8 comments:

Umbongo said...

" . . . EU pensions are non-retractable,’ a Cabinet Officer spokesman said."

They are if the pensioner says something "against the interests of the EU". Hence UKIP's demand that Patten forgo his EU pension if/when he becomes head of Pravda.

Bayard said...

Well he has to get the money to pay the EU back from somewhere. After all, it's not as if he is expected to get it from his own pocket, perish the thought.

Mark Wadsworth said...

U, chance would be a fine thing.

Anyway, the BBC is completely impartial as it is for the benefit of the UK in general, as is membership of the EU, ergo in extolling the virtues of the EU they are fulfilling their remit of doing what is in our best interests and being impartial (or some such twisted logic). Three million jobs depend on EU membership! Without EU membership women would have never got the right to vote! Without EU membership the UK would never have passed the Clean Air Acts! (cont. page 94).

B, that was my first thought.

Gordo said...

Shouldn't the chappie be in prison?

Mark Wadsworth said...

Gordo, you really are a hoot!

Lola said...

It's getting so that EU or any political pensions are only 'retractable' with piano wire and a few burly mates.

Rob said...

Is this a total pension pot of 235k or an annual income?

Mark Wadsworth said...

L, yup. Or we could just stop paying them.

R, good question. It appears from other sources that it's £35,000 a year. £235,000 a year does seem on the high side, that's more than Mandy, Patten or Kinnock get.