Pension deal for selection row MP

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An MP who was deselected by the Labour party after local activists accused her of incompetence could receive a pension worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Anne Moffat, who represents East Lothian, said she has a deal in place to retire due to ill health.

This is despite her arguing that she should be able to stand for the party in the next general election.

Ms Moffat, 51, could receive a pension of about £30,000 a year plus a one-off payment of £32,000.

She said she kept the deal secret so that her opponents in the constituency did not know she planned to step down.

One of the criteria for receiving an ill health pension from the Commons is that you can no longer perform the duties of an MP.

Bitter dispute

Anne Moffat secured her deal some time ago although she has argued that she should continue to represent Labour in East Lothian beyond the general election.

Ms Moffat suffered a brain haemorrhage last year but still fought against opponents in her local party who wanted her out.

She lost that battle when the party's national executive agreed to de-select her.

The ill health retirement, means she will be paid a pension which assumes she served as an MP until she was 65.

The exact details of Ms Moffat's agreement are not known.

The East Lothian constituency Labour party voted to deselect Ms Moffat as its candidate for the General Election, at a meeting in Haddington on 19 March.

Activists voted to drop her as a candidate by 130 votes to 59.

The MP has been locked in a bitter dispute with local party members. They accused her of incompetence and she said she had suffered intimidation and persecution.

She was elected to represent East Lothian in 2001.