Pensions and votes

Finally our media have awakened to the looming public sector pensions crisis. Not only is it unaffordable (£700 billion and rising), but it has the potential to bring about huge civil disorder.

Too much tax money is keeping too many people in too much unnecessary work. To compound matters, they will receive index-linked, final salary pensions paid for primarily by private sector workers, who will largely have to rely on the rudimentary state pension.

Of course, there is as much chance of government action as there is of the end of taxation itself. Political parties don’t get elected by being responsible and doing the right thing, but by trying to outbid each other in buying the affection of the electorate.

Drastic action is needed, and government must be cruel to be kind. But what party has the courage to face up to the crisis? One can be absolutely sure that the 6,906,922 public sector workers (one out of four employed) will not sit idly by and watch any government reduce their pension benefits, and the politicians know it.

ALASTAIR McCULLOCH

Braeport, Dunblane

Perthshire