Leading insurer Aegon has criticised the widely-supported proposals by industry and business for a new pensions commission.

Last week a call to the election parties to take pensions out of politics with an independent retirement savings commission was backed by the National Association of Pension Funds, Association of British Insurers, Trades Union Congress and the Federation of Small Businesses.

The NAPF published research which found fewer than 30 per cent of savers think recent pensions policy changes have made them more confident about their savings while 56 per cent feel more uncertain about their retirement.

Joanne Segars, the NAPF's chief executive, said this reflected "pensions policy driven by short-term priorities and political expediency".

Thee research found over 80 per cent support for an independent commission which should be politically neutral and have a wide remit to consider retirement issues. Ms Segars said: "A new standing commission will help make sure the long-term interests of savers, not the short-term interests of politicians, are at the heart of pensions policy."

But Kate Smith, regulatory strategy manager at Aegon, said: ''We don't believe an independent pension commission is the answer or that it will deter political risk. Dissecting pensions policy from the heart of government would be problematic, not least because it is jointly owned by the DWP and Treasury, with the latter owning tax policy.

"Instead we would welcome a cross-government department review of pension and savings policy joined up with other connected areas such as longer working lives policies and long-term care.

"The next government, not a pensions commission should be thinking long-term and we would like to see it put together a viable long-term savings policy that wins cross party support to stop the constant tinkering."