The ever-scarier Harriet Harman has jumped into the Fred Goodwin pension controversy. During the weekend she asserted that Sir Fred should not "count on" receiving his full pension. She said that while his agreement with RBS might be valid in a court of law, it would not stand up in the court of public opinion, which is "where the Government comes in".
Is this the start of a new phase for the Government, where it actually listens to what people want? What's next, Harriet? Are we going to uninvade Iraq? Renationalise the railways? Cencel the third runway at Heathrow? Or, God forbid, bring back the death penalty?
The notion that someone with no respect for the sanctity of contracts is in the running for next leader of a major political party is pretty scary. It would seem that Ms Harman and others would be quite prepared to pass a spot of ad hominem legislation, if that's what needed to claw back the booty. (Vince Cable is also doing himself no favours on this score except, no doubt, in the court of public opinion). Gordon Brown has quickly stepped in to shut Ms Harman up. If the Treasury can find a legal way round the contract, that's fine. Otherwise, barring a Damascene conversion by Sir Fred himself, the Government is just going to have to live with the deal, and with its probable electoral consequences.
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