Undue influence?

Former employees of the EU receive a pension, usually a very generous one. That seems fair doesn't it? However the EU can remove this pension if in the view of the Commission or the Luxembourg Court they "fail to uphold the interests of the European Communities". Ex EU Commissioners are often members of this Country's legislature, for example Lord Kinnock. Since the terms of his pension preclude him from criticising the EU then surely those in receipt of such monies should declare receipt of these pensions in the Register of Members Interests and in House of Lords debates. This is a view that is held by the ex Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf. You can read the full speech by Lord Pearson in Hansard and thanks to theyworkforyou.com for bringing this to my attention. Of course Lord Kinnock and his wife have been on the EU gravy train for many years now and I doubt if they would ever criticise the organisation that has made them extremely wealthy and taken them many miles from their old house on Clovelly Road in Ealing and curry nights on South Ealing Road.