Nasty smell around public sector pensions…

Danny Alexander (the flatulent Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury famously accused of making a stink before appearing on the Andrew Marr show) has really come up trumps this time, with his inflammatory comments about public sector workers’ pensions and the premature announcement that they will have to work six years longer (until  66) and pay more for a reduced pay out during retirement.  

Whether this is just another ill-timed venting of hot air from the flame haired politician or, more likely, a carefully laid trap to draw the unions into a battle in which the coalition government are convinced they will hold the upper hand and ultimately win, Danny boy’s pre-emptive bomb shell has effectively blown a hole through the planned negotiations over the pension arrangements of doctors, nurses, teachers, civil servants and town hall workers, igniting a justifiably angry response from public sector unions.       

750,000 are already expected to take part in strikes planned for 30^th June, which would make it the biggest walk-out since the miners’ strikes of the 1980s, while on-going union ballots could lead to further industrial action, in the autumn, on a scale that has not been seen since the General Strike of 1926.     

Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, has cautioned the unions that by taking industrial action over pension reform they are playing directly into the hands of a government, as it will distract attention away from their failing economic recovery plan.

Meanwhile, Noxious Danny has already set about poisoning the atmosphere between private and public sector workers, vilifying the latter as free loaders unfairly enjoying superior pension arrangements at enormous cost to the tax payer. He always conveniently forgets to mention that public sector workers are tax payers too!

So much for: ‘unifying the country’, ‘we’re all in this together’ and ‘the big society’?

There is no doubt that with average public and private salaries now on a par and people living longer, public sector pension arrangements are becoming unsustainable, and need to be reviewed, but this should be done sensitively through consultation and with the agreed changes implemented gradually, so that employees are treated fairly.

The winds of change, emanating from the Chief Secretary, intend to cut a swathe through the existing public sector pension arrangements breazing in the ‘confirmed’ changes by 2020, just nine years away. This is a ridiculously hasty timetable. People plan and prepare for their retirement over a life-time and therefore pension reform must be introduced at a similarly measured pace.

It is blatantly unreasonable, for public sector employees in their late forties and early 50s, who have been steadily working their way towards retirement at 60, (or in some cases, such as my own, planning to take an actuarially reduced pension between 55 and 60) to suddenly be confronted with a requirement to work an extra six years for a reduced pay out.

‘Matt’ captured this beautifully in his ‘Sunday Telegraph’ cartoon (left) which has the an elderly lady patient asking the plastic surgeon if he can make her look six years older!   

Also, let’s not forget that although public sector wages have undoubtedly and deservedly improved in recent times, many opted for these jobs, at a time when average private sector salaries were significantly higher, in the knowledge that the imbalance would eventually be redressed by early retirement opportunities and a generous guaranteed pension scheme.

History suggests there can only ever be one outcome to industrial action that divides the nation in a way that this issue clearly will.

The government will cast the public sector workers as greedy, unreasonable, attempting to derail the economic recovery programme and  bring down the government, while actually revelling in the opportunity to flex their political muscle, show they’re not for turning, and remind the electorate, yet again, that it’s all Labour’s fault anyway!

I would suggest that Ed Balls has got it absolutely spot on, but the unions are caught in a no-win situation.

Significantly on this occasion, it seems to be union members rather than their leaders who are spoiling for a fight and they cannot, neither should they be, denied the public expression of their anti-government feeling.

Unions are there to support the needs and voice the concerns of their membership, and in so doing ensuring that they are treated fairly. Failure to respond at time like this would merely demonstrate how impotent they actually are.

I have no doubt that union leaders would actually prefer to sit down and negotiate a compromise solution but Danny doesn’t seem in the mood for clear the air talks! Ironically, it is the government, having recently been forced to back down on NHS reforms, that seems to be rather looking forward to reasserting itself, seemingly hell-bent on demonstrating how tough it is prepared to be, by re-enacting the power struggles of the Thatcher years – all in the name of national economic recovery.

History, I fear, will inevitably repeat itself with the trade unions eventually forced to concede defeat, and the Labour Party, by association, suffering a further damaging set back to their come-back chances.

Interestingly it is the Lib Dems, ‘Noxious Danny’ and ‘Strictly Vince’, who have been sent out to head this one up (presumably, in order to mend a few fences after claiming all the plaudits for the NHS climb down) while the ultimate beneficiaries (come the next election), ‘Call me Dave’ and ‘Boy George’, are happy to urge them on from behind. Perhaps someone should tell them it’s not a good idea to stand downwind from Danny!       

Pop Pickers Guide to This Week in Politics

This time last week the Labour Party was still basking in the glow of a, not insignificant, majority at the Oldham by-election or at least congratulating themselves on avoiding another potential banana skin. All the right noises were being made, there’s a long way to go etc. but Labour under Ed Geeky Miliband’s leadership was up and running – so to speak.

Pinocchio’s ‘Conservative’ Democrats were consoling themselves, for coming second, by pointing to an increased percentage of the vote (+0.3%) which obviously shows, that contrary to popular opinion (or at least the opinion polls), their supporters are not disillusioned and deserting in droves?

Meanwhile the True Blue Tories, who finished a poor third, were going through a well-worn, it’s a typical by-election result and Oldham is Labour heartland so what do you expect? routine, while Lord Snooty was doing a good impersonation of a broken record, congratulating himself on being the first Conservative PM since Super Mac  to do a bit of door stepping during the run up to a by-election.

This, of course, demonstrates that his party were taking it seriously and there was absolutely no truth in the nasty rumour that he was acting as an undercover agent and actively urging Tory supporters to vote tactically in a bid to save his Coalition buddies from embarrassment!   

But a week is a long time in politics, or so they say…

So,  pop pickers , here’s my guide to the Top Ten political releases of the week:

  

10:          ‘Stand by my Man’, by Sally Bercow.

SB stoutly defends the sartorial elegance of the Commons Speaker, husband John, following assertions from his predecessor, Lady Boothroyd, that it is not good for Parliament when he refuses to uphold traditions and wear the official uniform of the post. ‘Don’t call my husband scruffy,’ retaliated SB; handbags at twenty paces!  Get off  your soap box Betty. You’ve had your day – move on!

9:            ‘Leader of the Pack’, by Ed Miliband.

The opposition leader warns unions planning to disrupt  the Royal Wedding weekend that it will only end in tears, alienating the public and marking a return to the heroic failures of the 1980s. Like it or not Ed, the ‘80s are back in vogue. But I do agree – don’t spoil the nation’s big day. After all we need as much feel good factor we can get at the moment. Hold fire till after the honeymoon!     

8:            ‘Lying Eyes’ by Lord Goldsmith.

The artist formerly known as the Attorney General claims  exPM Tony Blair contradicted his legal advice and may have misled Parliament over the legality of going to war in Iraq. Not too many people will be surprised by this revelation. The Chilcot Inquiry runs on and on and on. They must be on good expenses, dragging it out like this!

7:            ‘Revolution’ by David Cameron. 

Lord Snooty, the self-styled heir to Blair (I would drop that tag line if I was him), claims he will succeed where TB failed! This is with reference to Blair’s apparent delay in implementing the radical reforms he wanted to make in Health and Education, after coming into power in 1997, until he eventually became hamstrung by the unions.

It won’t happen to DC. Well, considering he didn’t win the election and is being propped up by self-serving puppet Cleggers and his turncoats, he’s certainly not hanging around in implementing his own master plan.  

Revolution not evolution at a time when the NHS has shorter waiting lists and higher levels of customer satisfaction (due to the actions of the previous government) than for many years, strikes me as unnecessary. If this is all about privatisation through the back door, you tamper with the nation’s sacred cow at your peril. I fear it may be a case of the proverbial, act in haste repent at leisure.

6:            ‘Wastin’ My Time’ by the House of Lords Singers.

Unelected peers taking part in an all night sleep over in the Lords entertain themselves with ‘bored’ games, helping themselves to complimentary wine and nibbles, and taking turns for a nap on camp beds before finishing off with a full English breakfast.

This was all part of the filibustering process aimed at timing out the Coalition’s bill for a planned referendum, in May, which lumps together voting reform and the redrawing of constituency boundaries.

It could only happen in this country that a group of Labour dinosaurs are able to behave in this obstructive manner! However you can’t blame them, they’re only playing the game. Like so many things the Coalition are trying to rush this bill through without allowing time for due scrutiny. But, having said that, the sooner we get an elected second chamber the better!      

5:            ‘It’s Over’ by Alan Johnson (the Singing Postman).  

AJ departs following  marriage related problems. He might not have been the greatest Shadow Chancellor of all time and he once self deprecatingly quipped that he needed to, ‘Pick up a primer – Economics for Beginners,’ but the affable, former postman, who has worked his way up the political ladder brought a lot to the party and is a face of Labour that appeals to many. Hopefully it won’t be long before we see him back on the front bench.

4:            ‘Eye to Eye’ by Ed Miliband and Ed Balls.

With barely a pause for breath, Geeky  elevates Ed Balls to Shadow Chancellor, following the departure of AJ. That Geeky had the balls to act swiftly and make this appointment says a lot for the way he is growing into the job and gaining confidence as party leader.

There is no doubt that Ed B has the economic credentials, (ok – as well as the baggage), and the political savoir faire to mount a formidable challenge to the Chancellor, ‘Ozzy’ Osborne, and the Coaltion’s stringent economic recovery plan.

If Ed Miliband can rein in his Shadow Chancellor and retain control of the party, without their relationship descending the well-worn path trodden by T&G (no – not Toni & Guy) then it could prove a winning partnership.  Are two Eds better than one?   I’m cautiously optimistic!

3:            ‘Doing the Turkey Trot’ by David Cameron and Rebekah Brooks.

It is revealed that shortly after removing Business Secretary, Vince ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Cable, from his responsibility of ruling on News Corporation’s bid to take full control of BSkyB,  DC was tucking into a turkey at a private dinner party hosted by the chief executive of News International, Rebekah Brooks .

VC was famously lured, by a pretty face, into announcing he was ‘declaring war’ on NC’s chairman Rupert Murdoch so he clearly had to be withdrawn from the case.  Given Murdoch’s backing for DC’s party, this wining and dining with Ms Brooks (who, incidentally, also has a pretty face) seems a tad indiscrete, despite Downing Street’s announcement that the PM has no personal involvement in whether the take over is referred to the Competition Commission.     

2:            ‘Love Letters Straight from My Heart’  (‘B’ side: The Long & Winding Road) by Tony Blair and George W  Bush.

As promised, Blair makes a return journey to the Chilcot Inquiry to answer questions about Lord Goldsmith’s assertions (see 8). There has been a lot of speculation about the content of ‘love letters’, crisscrossing  the Atlantic between TB and GWB, prior to the decision to invade Iraq, but as it’s a Public Inquiry, they can’t of course be  made public!

That ruling clearly serves nobody’s best interests because the public will obviously presume the worst! TB, at his most sincere, drew almost verbatim from a passage in his autobiography, A Journey, in a belated effort to state some sort of remorse for the deaths suffered in Iraq.

Needless to say it didn’t go down well and there were boos from the gallery. It’s not fashionable to confesss to being a one time Blairite, but I think history will eventually show him to have been a  great British PM. However he got it wrong regarding Iraq and this expression of remorse was too little too late.

1:            ‘Second Hand News’ (from his album ‘Rumours’)by Andy Coulson.

The Government’s communications director, stands down amidst growing controversy over the News of the World hacking scandal. AC, its former editor resigned from his current position yesterday. Coulson, having famously been given a second chance by DC,  stepped down from his former post following the conviction of its royal correspondent for illegal phone hacking.

He maintains he was not aware of any widespread hacking culture at the Sunday tabloid and continues to protest that he is innocent of any illegal journalistic activity. So why has hasn’t he stuck it out and weathered the storm? I’m sure all will be revealed in the fullness of time. There is no smoke without fire.

More worrying, is DC’s obvious dependence on his spin doctor. He is quoted as saying that when he decided against following one of Coulson’s recommendations he couldn’t sleep at night.

What does that tell us about the PM and how the country is being run? Obviously it’s all about selling a story – just hand the top  job over to the editor of a national newspaper!

2nd Class Post…

I suddenly find it is nine days since I last posted, 2^nd class delivery by any stretch of the imagination!

There are no excuses. It’s all down to poor time management.  That perennial statement of the recently retired, “I don’t know how I ever found time to go to work,” never seemed more true!

It had completely passed me by (due, I guess, to being in Africa when it was launched) that The Independent now publishes i – the essential daily briefing. I confess to being alerted by their recent TV advertising campaign and have been sucked into trying it out this week.

It bills itself as Britain’s concise quality paper and has used the gimmicky slogan, “No celebrity nonsense,” in its advertising campaign, which isn’t strictly true as it does have a Caught & Social page but that is pretty much the extent of its coverage of the glitterati.   

Matrices are the order of the day. i opens with a useful News Matrix, inside the front page, which gives a brief outline of the main stories of the day and flags up where more detailed reports can be found.

An interesting Views section offers The Opinion Matrix, which draws on a range of publications, for comparative viewpoints on topical stories and also flags up a Quote of the Day.

Today’s offering was from a typically bullish Ed Balls, fast out of the blocks, following his sudden elevation to Shadow Chancellor:

“I first studied economics under Thatcher when unemployment hit 3 million…There is an alternative.”  

Chancellor, George Osborne, better get used to it. There is an alternative, is a phrase that will be ringing in his ears when Ed, the political bruiser, pulls on his gloves and climbs into the ring.

i comes in at 55 pages so concise doesn’t equate to superficial news coverage and analysis. There’s also a healthy Sport section, seven pages worth, to keep me happy.   

There’s even a Page 3 pin-up, but not of course as we know it – not in a quality paper!

This week’s featured, tongue in cheek, pin ups have included as diverse and interesting a group of newsworthy individuals as:

Ricky Gervais (comedian and controversial host at the Golden Globes): It was his second outing at the awards so they knew what they were letting themselves in for. Rise above it darlings!

Silvio Berlusconi (Italian Premier, alleged to have consorted with minors): Surely not! The guy is a  sleaze and a sick joke.  He can’t keep getting away with it, or can he? 

Rebecca Hall (actress): The daughter of Director Sir Peter Hall, who is starring as Viola in Dad’s new production of Twelfth Night at the National Theatre. Keeping it in the family – but why not? I’m sure it will be a great success. I might even try to get tickets. 

Michelle Obama (First Lady): She scrubbed up pretty well for this week’s White House reception for China’s President Hu (who?) She even wore a frock with a GB label, which showed off those famous biceps to great effect. 

At the moment i knocks out  at 20p a copy, £1.00 for its weekly Monday to Friday run, which is an absolute snip and less than the tabloid comics.

i seems to be adopting something of a media cross over model, having adopted the style of an on-line newspaper in a traditional hard copy format.

It seems to meet the needs of the modern age, providing at a glance edited highlights of all the important news stories, for those who don’t have time to linger over their morning paper, while providing sufficient substance for those who can (like me!)

If traditional newspapers are to survive the onslaught of 24 hr TV, radio and Internet news coverage, and remain a viable alternative to their daily on-line editions, this could well be the shape of things to come.

It’s very early days for i  but, if they keep hitting the right notes and the price remains competitive, what are the chances of  its circulation figures eventually soaring above those of the parent paper?