11 OCTOBER 1930, Page 3

There was not as much support as we should have

expected for the pensioning of ex-Prime Ministers. Of course, if Leaders of the Opposition were always ex-Prime Ministers the payment of the Leaders would settle the matter of pensions. But this is not so. It seems to us, therefore, that there is much to be said for enabling ex- Prime Ministers who have little or no money of their own to place their services permanently at the disposal of Parliament. The pension need only be large enough to enable an ex-Prime Minister to live with reasonable comfort without having to cast round for undignified means of supporting himself. There is no case for a large pension, for if a man prefers money as such to the service of his country he will not be greatly missed. Mr. Lloyd George protested against the discrepancy of the £10,000 salary for the Lord Chancellor and the £1,000 for the Prime Minister, and, above all, to the very large earnings of the Law Officers.

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