Rishi Sunak skewered Sir Keir Starmer during PMQs today as he produced his bespoke pension law from his time as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The Prime Minister was in stitches as he waved around a copy of the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013.
The legislation means the lifetime allowance does not apply to his pension contributions from his time as DPP between 2008 and 2013.
Sir Keir has vowed to reimpose the £1million cap on pensions savings – recently scrapped by the Tories – if he takes the keys to No 10.
But the Prime Minister said the legislation shows it was “literally one law for him and tax rises for everyone else”.
Mr Sunak said: “I can’t quite remember but I think he started by talking about when he was DPP in 2013.
“I’m actually glad he brought that up because there was something else that happened when he was DPP in 2013.
“That was when he got his own special law, I’ve got it right here.”
Brandisihing the document, Mr Sunak added: “Here it is, the Pensions Increase (Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC) Regulations 2013.
“While we’re introducing a transformative policy to support doctors to cut the waiting list faster, he wants to raise taxes on public sector workers.
“And it’s literally one law for him and tax rises for everyone else.”
The Labour leader has been acccused of hypocrisy in opposing plans unveiled by Jeremy Hunt in his spring Budget to abolish the lifetime allowance.
The cap on the amount people are allowed to put into their pensions before being taxed had stood at £1.07million.
The move is primarily targeted at preventing consultants from retiring early from the under-pressure NHS as currently rules mean it is not worth them carrying on working.
After the arrangement emerged, Sir Keir said: “Firstly, it was a government pension scheme put in place for DPPs.
“So that’s why it was a statutory instrument, it is a government-run scheme.
“I’m absolutely committed to changing what the Government did last week, which was to give a tax cut to the wealthiest 1 percent.”
He continued: “But let me go further than that. I don’t intend for that to exclude me and therefore… I haven’t taken advantage, there is no tax advantage and nor do I want one.
“So when we reverse that change the Government put in place last week, I will be included within that, whatever change is needed within legislation or anything else.
“I’m very happy, want to be and will be in the same position as everybody else in this country – I will be very clear about that.”
Source: Read Full Article