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Lord Falconer\’s Pension

There\’s a simple enough solution to this:

Falconer, who gave up a lucrative career in the legal profession to give 10 years’ service as a Labour minister, is said to feel that he has a con-tractual entitlement.

According to the Cabinet Office, however, he is entitled to only £52,193. He is also permitted to receive a lump sum, which is yet to be decided, because of his special position as head of the judiciary for the past four years.

As lord chancellor he was entitled to an annual salary and a pension higher than any other cabinet minister, including the prime minister. However, he opted to take the standard salary of a cabinet minister based in the Lords – worth £104,386 last year – rather than his full salary entitlement of £232,900. When he became lord chancellor and constitutional affairs secretary in 2003, after Blair’s “botched” reshuffle, the historic post of lord chancellor was supposed to be abolished. However, a U-turn by the government led to the title being retained.

Those close to him say Falconer does not regard himself as a rich man. “Unlike some of his contemporaries he did not spend years earning a fortune at the bar,” said one source.

A spokesman said: “The payments are now being made to him in line with the PM’s statement of June 19, 2003.” That was the date when it was agreed that Falconer would take the reduced salary of a regular secretary of state.

What pension is Derry Irvine taking?

2 thoughts on “Lord Falconer\’s Pension”

  1. Fancy that. Surely a good lawyer would have drawn the full salary but given half to charity (I mean genuinely, not a Toni-and-Greedie donation)? Be that as it may, how come the PM is making decisions on this? Shouldn’t it be a matter of law?

  2. So like a lawyer – wanting to change the rules and claiming “entitlement.” He should have thought about this a long time ago – that’s what good lawyers do. Didn’t know one, apparently.

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