brian - I suspect you're referring to a report by actuaries Hymans Robertson published earlier this year that suggested around 26% of council tax receipts fund public sector pensions, including police, teachers and firefighters. It's a controversial report and their analysis has been queried by other actuaries, but even if it were correct your suggestion that it's a third of council tax is exaggeration. I don't dispute that the cost of public sector pensions is a huge public policy issue, but inaccuracy and exaggeration don't help. And hilltopgeneral can't seriously argue that there is absolutely no relationship between the attractiveness of the job and the affordability of the pay system. The market for jobs in the public sector isn't that different from that in the private sector, and if the pay and conditions of a job mean it's difficult or impossible to recruit or retain staff then savings on pay and conditions may be a false economy.

With the RPI at 4.2%, pay settlements in the public sector currently average 2.7%, while private sector pay settlements average 4% - and deals in the private sector are almost universally for one year, whereas it's common in the public sector for pay deals to be imposed for two or three years, meaning that if inflation increases still further the pay deal in real terms becomes even more painful with no room for renegotiation. Nurses, prison officers and police officers all got an average pay deal of 1.9%. Nearly half the staff in benefit offices and jobcentres get no pay increase at all this year.

Yes, I work in the public sector - and I earn about 20% less than I did working in a similar role in the private sector, albeit that I will get a generous pension. I appreciate some of the viewpoints being expressed but there is some lazy thinking and prejudice being expressed alongside them.