The LawDeb Pension Trustees Annual Debate

20 May 2011

This House believes that pensions would be better off without politicians

- A popular subject for the sixth annual Law Debenture Debate chaired by The RT Hon Michael Portillo, at the beginning of last week.

Speaking for the motion were Steve Hull from Ashurst, Mark Johnson from Blackrock and Paul McGlone from Aon Hewitt (who boosted his team’s numbers by introducing ‘Dave’ as the just-appointed Pensions Minister, but who also resembled a ventriloquist’s dummy). Speaking against the motion were Norma Cohen from the Financial Times, Michael O’Higgins, the Chairman of the Pensions Regulator, and Nigel Waterson who was until the 2010 Election the Shadow Pensions Minister.

The Debate took place in front of a packed auditorium of two hundred and seventy pensions professionals, who had their chance to add to and develop the points made by the speakers. The secret voting at the beginning of the debate revealed that there had initially been strong support for the motion, with 54% voting for and 46% against. Whether it was a measure of the strength of the arguments against, or the strengthening realisation that ‘pensions’ was too important a subject to be left out of the democratic process, the result of the second vote held at the end of the proceedings revealed a dramatic turnabout: 64% voted against and 36%, were in favour.

At the reception afterwards many participants were already discussing the possible topic of next year’s debate.

Please click below for some photos from the debate.

Debate guests enjoying refreshments

Debate guests in the debating chamber

Debate Law Debs Mark Ashworths welcome and opening remarks

Debate Law Debs Sue Timbrell

Debate Michael Higgins

Debate Motion proposed by Steve Hull

Debate Nigel Waterson

Debate Opposition supported by Norma Cohen

Debate Paul Mc Glone with friend Dave from the DWP

Debate Proposal supported by Mark Johnson