Re: ACA - Placard - Scottish Independence
Ronnie Sloan
Cheers. Ronnie
-------- Original Message --------
| Subject: | RE: ACA - Placard - Scottish Independence |
|---|---|
| Date: | Tue, 8 Apr 2014 08:49:16 +0000 |
| From: | Catherine Love Soper <Catherine...@pstransactions.co.uk> |
| To: | 'Ronnie Sloan' <ron...@sloan42.fsnet.co.uk> |
Hi Ronnie,
Many thanks for your extremely useful email! These are all excellent points and I will feed them back to the ACA Main Committee. As you suggest, I think that perhaps we need to rethink this idea of a Scottish Independence debate Placard issue.
I really appreciate you taking the time to write back your thoughts to me.
Thank you again.
Kind regards,
Cathy
Catherine Love Soper FIA
Senior Consultant
Punter Southall Transaction Services
11 Strand, London, WC2N 5HR
DDI: +44 (0)20 3327 5297
Catherine...@pstransactions.co.uk
From: Ronnie Sloan
[mailto:ron...@sloan42.fsnet.co.uk]
Sent: 07 April 2014 19:29
To: Catherine Love Soper
Subject: Re: ACA - Placard - Scottish
Independence
Hi Cathy -
nice to hear from you, but I'm afraid that I'm no longer fully
'in the loop' re the detailed niceties of pensions from an
actuarial and regulatory standpoint, and so must regettably
decline your request.
However, I did take the opportunity to email a number of
colleagues, especially in small(er) firms to see if anyone
might bite. As yet, nobody has offered to write, although
several have expressed strong comments - almost entirely
anti-independence. In point of fact, their comments have been
directed as much to the effect on us as actuaries as to the
specific pension implications, the ramifications of which are
potentially colossal, and a complete waste of our time in
trying to analyse rationally.
To use a well-worn expression, there are too many unknown
unknowns, and even the known ones are problematical.
While I'm still awaiting a definite response from one possible
contributor, and an anti-one at that, I would just comment
that it doesn't seem entirely rational for Placard to present
pro- and anti-viewpoints as such, because actuaries should
surely be analysing the implications regardless of their
personal preferences. After all, if it's a YES vote, then the
entire pensions industry will have to face up to all the
consequences, however irksome and unpalatable they might prove
to be.
As one colleague aptly put it:- "Those who think about the
issues mainly vote NO. Those who vote emotionally mainly vote
YES. And no amount of rational analysis will convince the
latter group."
So, we're in a rather dark place, which internal debate will
do little to enlighten, and the Scottish electorate don't read
Placard! Anyway, I'll let you know if anyone does offer to
write something, but please don't hold your breath.
Best wishes. Ronnie
On 06/04/2014 16:09, Catherine Love Soper wrote:
Dear Ronnie,
ACA - Placard - Scottish Independence
Please excuse the direct email. We have not met before but Graeme Muir passed me your name. I am contacting you in my role as the editor of the ACA’s periodic publication, Placard. The ACA main committee have decided that they would like the next Placard issue to be about the pensions implications of possible Scottish Independence – with one author presenting a “pro-independence” view point and the other author presenting an “anti-independence” viewpoint.
I was therefore wondering whether you would be interested in writing one of the articles for this next Placard edition? And if not, whether you might know of any other actuaries who might be happy to contribute? (We are ideally only looking to get contributions from consulting actuaries who both live and work in Scotland).
Of course I entirely understand if it wouldn’t be possible for you to contribute, particularly because I am aware it is a relatively sensitive and highly political issue! (For example, I know Hymans Robertson have a policy whereby they wish to remain neutral).
If you are interested however, I can provide you with more details on the specifics in due course. We are hoping to get the issue out before the ACA sessional event in June (26th) as this is likely to be the topic for debate that evening. There is also no specific word limit but I would suggest something between 750 – 1,500 words.
If you are not familiar with Placard, I have included a link below to some past issues:
http://www.aca.org.uk/aca-publications.html
I look forward to hearing from you and many thanks for any help – the ACA is very grateful!
Kind regards,
Cathy
Catherine Love Soper FIA
Senior Consultant
Punter Southall Transaction Services
11 Strand, London, WC2N 5HR
DDI: +44 (0)20 3327 5297
Catherine...@pstransactions.co.uk
