Has one of Peter Hain's special advisers broken the rules?

Point 6 of the the Special Adviser code says: "Special advisers should not use official resources for party political activity ... They should avoid anything which might reasonably lead to the criticism that people paid from public funds are being used for party political purposes." So should someone in Peter Hain's special adviser office have sent out this attack quote?

From: Special-Advisers DWP [mailto:Special-Advisers@dwp.gsi.gov.uk]
Sent: 15 January 2008 10:21
To: MOS-PR DWP
Subject: RE: FOR IMMEDIATE USE: Tories aim to destroy final salary pension schemes
Importance: High

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
TORIES AIM TO DESTROY FINAL SALARY PENSION SCHEMES

Commenting on yesterday’s proposals by David Cameron to close public service final salary pension schemes – not just the scheme for MPs – Pensions Minister Mike O’Brien QC MP said:

“The Conservative Party plans to get rid of public sector

final salary pensions, thereby destroying the best pension schemes in Britain.

“This would send a signal to the employers of hundreds of thousands of workers who remain in final salary pension schemes that the Conservatives don’t care about them and are prepared to reduce their income in retirement.

“This should serve as a warning: if you are in a final salary pension scheme, don’t ever vote Tory or they would destroy it.

“Although the numbers in final salary schemes have declined from 8 million in the 1960s to around 3 million now, many workers in the private sector remain in final salary schemes.

“In the 1980s, the Tories allowed employers pension contribution holidays and there were mis-selling scandals, and these resulted in deficits. Many employers left the schemes to avoid those deficits.

“In the new Pensions Bill, Labour has just introduced deregulatory measures to encourage employers to remain in these gold-standard schemes. Only a few weeks ago, the Tories claimed to welcome these, and wanted us to go further to keep defined benefit schemes.

“Mr Cameron’s announcement that they plan to end final salary schemes for public sector workers sends the wrong signal. It shows they have learnt nothing from the mistakes of the last Tory government.

“The Tories have understood nothing and learnt nothing about pensions.”

ENDS

For further information, please call DWP Special Advisers on 020 3267 XXXX

Comments

[Mark Heenan]

Busted...

[DK]

Be fair now. He is only following the shining example of his boss Mr. Hain.

[Martin]

“The Tories have understood nothing and learnt nothing about pensions.”

Whilst Labour have understood nothing and learnt nothing about the impartiality of civil servants...

[Jeremy Poynton]

Why should we, the great unwashed, pay for the the public sector to have final salary payments? Mine was closed in 1987, we were moved to personal pensions, and the Brown decided he wanted a huge chunk of those as well - presumably to pay public sector pensions (and keep votes).

[Jeremy Poynton]

Rule? Or law? Odd how it is always "rules" when New Labour break the law, is it not?

[Charles]

There is a suggestion that this is fake. Why has the telephone number been XXXX out?

Please post the original (scan it).

[Chris Paul]

This looked like a fake from the get go. Why would any SpAd send this? Ridiculous from the outset. Easy to personate emails. Have you checked the email's long header? And path? If you did so you might have a real story. At the moment you appear to have a bogus press release. Do you regularly get press releases that give as a contact a generic job title: "DWP Special Advisors"? Or any-old-department Special Advisors? Very unusual that. Come on Sam. Don't accept this on face value. At least you have stuck a question mark at the end of your title. Unlike the TPA and Guido Fawkes or "GuF" for short.