Scam or farce or both. One thing is certain is that there is no
gravy-boat in the world big enough for all the gravy the Kinnock
family has found and all at our expense. And we worry about duck
houses (which incidentally we did NOT pay for!)
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DAILY MAIL 9.6.09
Glenys Kinnock's appointment as Europe minister descended into farce
yesterday after it emerged that she could not do the job because she
was still an MEP.
Under EU Parliament rules, Mrs Kinnock is not allowed to serve as a
minister in a national Government until she steps down as an MEP on
July 14.
Days after accepting Gordon Brown's surprise invitation to join his
Government, Mrs Kinnock was forced to admit she was a mere 'acting
minister'.
There was speculation in Westminster last night that Mrs Kinnock was
reluctant to quit her job as an MEP as she would have to forgo some
of her gold-plated pension and golden-goodbye.
The absurd situation is set to cause further embarrassment for Mr
Brown as he fights for his political survival.
Downing Street sources last night insisted Mrs Kinnock had resigned
as an MEP.
But a European Parliament spokesman said he had no knowledge of her
quitting the post. 'We would normally get a formal notification if
that had happened,' said the spokesman. 'But we haven't had one.'
Tory Europe spokesman Mark Francois said: 'Today's confusion
regarding Glenys Kinnock is symptomatic of the kind of chaos which
now reigns in Downing Street, whereby even Ministers of the Crown do
not appear to know whether they are Ministers or not.'
By resigning a few weeks early, Mrs Kinnock is expected to lose out
slightly on some of her MEP's pension - believed to be worth around
£66,000 a year. The pension is calculated on her time served as an
MEP and her age. Her early 'retirement' is only set to cost her a few
hundred pounds.
Mrs Kinnock is also entitled to receive a parachute payment - aimed
at helping MEPs ease back into life after losing their seats - worth
around £32,383.
But as she has gone on to a Government job, her salary will be
deducted from this transition allowance, effectively cancelling it out.
A spokesman for Open Europe said: 'The appointment of Glenys Kinnock
is quickly turning into a shambles. The Government is all over the
place on Europe. Yesterday's election results show it needs to get
its act together sooner rather than later.'
Mrs Kinnock, 64, and her husband have earned a reputation as serial
junketeers after jumping on the EU gravy train in the 1990s. During
her 15 years as Labour's MEP for South Wales East, Mrs Kinnock's
salary had risen from £31,686 to £63,291, plus substantial expenses.
Yet a surprise call from Number 10 means she will make the transition
from £63,291-a-year euro MP to £83,275-a-year Europe Minister.
Lord Kinnock, 67, and his wife are not the only members of their
family who have a taxpayer-funded living.
Their son, Stephen Kinnock, headed the St Petersburg office of the
publicly funded British Council until October. Its unpaid chairman is
Lord Kinnock.
The 39-year-old now works as a director of the World Economic Forum.
The Kinnocks’ daughter, 37-year-old Rachel, landed a job on Mr
Brown’s political staff two years ago.
Lord Kinnock was appointed as a European Commissioner in 1995, on a
salary of £105,584 a year.
By the time he stepped down in 2004, he was earning £163,453 in
salary, a £24,000-a-year housekeeping allowance and a £7,000
entertainment budget.
Mr Kinnock received almost £273,000 when he left the job to help him
adjust to life outside the Commission. He can also draw on a £64,000-
a-year pension.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Farce over Glenys Kinnock, the makeshift minister who can't even do
her job because she's still an MEP
By KIRSTY WALKER
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