Vince Cable's questions will not go away

The Deputies of the three party leaders stood in at PMQ yesterday. One party head absent across the Atlantic and crippled by psychological unsuitability for his position as later so ably demonstrated before the US Congress (see my facetious video clip comment below), one in mourning and another apparently on long term or permanent paternity leave. The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Dr Vincent Cable, put the most telling questions which as always remained unanswered, they are quoted here from Hansard: As the Leader of the House is a former pensions Minister and Law Officer and, I believe, a trained solicitor, she is exceptionally well placed to understand pensions law. Instead of the rather eccentric proposal for a “Harriet’s law” to stop Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension, would it not be more sensible for the Government to use existing legislation under which pensions can be forfeited in cases of employee negligence, which is surely the case with Sir Fred Goodwin, Adam Applegarth of Northern Rock and the others who bankrupted their banks? Deputy Leader Harridan Harperson ignored the point bringing this telling follow-up : Dr. Cable: I think that the right hon. and learned Lady is missing the point. The issue is not whether the pension is £400,000 or £700,000; the issue is why it is being paid at all. Is this not part of a much bigger issue? There is growing anger in what she calls the court of public opinion not just about the pension and remuneration of those who are now public sector employees, but about other public sector fat cats, including senior civil servants and, dare I say it, Ministers, and their very lavish and generous pensions. Does she recognise that anger, and what is she proposing to do about it? The question is daily growing more relevant and requiring an answer. Its relevance was later further stressed by this throw away remark from the shallow and dreadful woman who adorns herself with various high sounding job descriptions, not one of which is she capable of fulfilling: When it comes to the banks squandering their customers’ money, there is one thing that perhaps I ought to add. I discovered that it was not only Sir Fred who was getting money off RBS; it was also the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague), who got £30,000 off the Royal Bank of Scotland, it turns out, for just two after-dinner speeches. The problem clearly runs deep throughout Parliament, as the Crash continues, the economy melts down and poverty stalks the land, these questions will not go away.