Public spending needs controls

Here we have another left-wing unionist demanding that the ever-growing public sector should grow even further to increase public sector pensions, irrespective of whether the public purse can afford it.

He fails to mention that this country is facing a crisis, a ticking timebomb over public sector pensions that is growing out all proportion and threatens to swamp us all.

According to the Institute of Economic Affairs, public sector pensions liabilities are now a staggering £817 billion.

This is largely due to the fact that under this Labour Government the public sector has ballooned out of all proportion.

In the last year alone, the public sector has employed a further 95,000 people, raising the number of public employees to 5.8 million, or one in five of all workers. This is simply unsustainable.

This comes on top of the fact that public sector workers can retire at 60 on index-linked pensions, while those in the private sector are forced to work 'til they drop, and public sector pay is increasing at 4.1 per cent compared to 2.5 per cent in the private sector. Where is the fairness here?

Who is to pay for this irresponsible increase in the public largesse? Well, the taxpayer, of course.

It doesn't matter that the British public are currently being taxed until the pips squeak and the productive part of our economy is being drained away.

Those like Mr Clark on the left of politics believe that he and his members have a divine right to act like leeches and suck this country dry.

It is about time the public sector budget stopped growing before it's too late, before the economy collapses.

The current economic situation is unsustainable, the taxpayer cannot keep feeding the insatiable appetite of the trade unions. They crippled the economy once before and they cannot be allowed to do it again.

Public sector spending must get in order first, before any increases in it are permitted.

NATHAN DESMOND

District councillor

Oldington and Foley Park

Kidderminster