Review: Look Where You’re Going – The Life of Alan Pickering

Born with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that left him completely blind by his twenties, Pickering has spent his life in graceful acceptance of, but undefined by, his state.

And yet, throughout his life, it is apparent that Pickering’s lack of eyesight has gifted him with something rarer.

This book makes it clear that the chairman of Bestrustees possesses an unparalleled degree of prescience regarding the issues faced by pension schemes, employers, and savers.

Take his eponymous report, which was published just over 16 years ago. Charged by then secretary of state for work and pensions Alistair Darling with undertaking a review of the UK’s pensions landscape, the Pickering report led to direct change for pensions in this country.

Because of that report, we have the Pensions Regulator. Since that report, all trust-based schemes became required to have one third of trustees nominated by scheme members.

Much of the review did not make it into the real world, and in a rare moment of misjudgement, Pickering encountered furore from the media and trade unions for its description of survivors’ benefits as "bells and whistles".

Pickering agrees now that the phrasing used had been naive, and David Willetts, the Conservative shadow secretary of state who supported the report, described it as “an unusual mistake from someone who was normally so sure-footed”.

That the unions took exception to Pickering’s efforts is perhaps more galling, given his political tradition and trade union history.

Born to a liberal father, but clearly more influenced by his Labour-supporting mother, Pickering’s first foray into employment came with the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union, where he was to work for 20 years.

The EETPU was also the place where he first came into contact with pensions, where he would hold the dual role of head of membership services and pensions guru.

Indeed, his union critics may have been interested to hear a friend’s description of Pickering in 1975, who at the time was “very left-wing” and “wore a Russian hat” before he “mellowed over the years”. Pickering stood twice in local elections, unsuccessfully, for Labour in Bromley.

His star has soared since his days at the union. Lauded for his chairmanship of the National Association of Pension Funds (now the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association), Pickering has also been a non-executive board member of the Pensions Regulator.

Pickering's philosophy on pensions runs throughout this book. In 1989, Pickering told a seminar that much legislation was “based on the misconception that a pension plan is an investment. I don’t think it is. It is an insurance, and should be seen as such”.

At that seminar, he also described defined contribution schemes as “a form of savings rather than a guaranteed form of protection” and predicted that growth would take place “in the personal pensions market rather than in the corporate sector”.

He remains a staunch advocate of defined benefit pensions, and describes them as “the most cost-effective way of building on the basic state pension”.

The book is smattered with examples of Pickering’s sense of humour and fierce independence. It is also an endearing insight into the personal life of a man who owes so much to his wife Christine Pickering and best friend Jenny Davie, his business colleague of 30 years.

This is an essential read for anyone with an interest in pensions or policy-making, but the book also delves into Pickering’s love of horseracing and sport.

Pickering is an excellent candidate for a biography – the man has more vision than most.

Look Where You’re Going – The Life of Alan Pickering by Paddy Briggs is published by Biteback Publishing (£20). It is available from July 18.