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David, HARROW: "both Harrow MP'S Tony McNulty and Gareth Thomas voted to give themselves a generous pay rise and to retain the John Lewis list to furnish their London (second) homes.
David Cameron should start to make economies in their own "House" before commenting on public sector workers."

Thomas and McNulty are both Labour MPs; I don't think that David Cameron holds a great deal of sway over their voting habits!

- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster

What a vote winner:- Ive voted labour for the past 20 years.
A strong attitude towards state pensions could swing it for me tho

- Adam, lowestoft

As reported recently in the London Evening Standard both Harrow MP'S Tony McNulty and Gareth Thomas voted to give themselves a generous pay rise and to retain the John Lewis list to furnish their London (second) homes.
David Cameron should start to make economies in their own "House" before commenting on public sector workers.

- David, HARROW

Edward, Aylesbury: You thought wrong! I work for the police in London. I loved being self employed and yes it was very hard work. Hard work has never bothered me. I had to go back onto the PAYE because I, together with millions of others, found the companies we worked for went under during the 1991 recession and the work dried up. Guess that's never happened to you. I have been working full time since I was 15, have never taken a penny from the pot that I've help put into, unlike a lot of people. A 10 hour day (excluding travelling) isn't part-time is it? I will be retiring at 63 thanks to the previous Tory govenment extending the retirement dates.

- Sally, Orpington, Kent

Britain had the strongest private pension funds on the planet until Gormless Clown stole £225 billion from them, which he subsequently squandered.
He has created 800,000 public sector jobs in the last few years, most of them non-jobs that we were doing perfectly well without, but which which have been used to massage the unemployment figures. These people were costing us less, and making just a s useless a contribution when they were on the dole!

- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster

If the public sector is so great (wish I could go to Hong Kong Andrew...)how come all you moaners don't become police officers, nurses or teachers? Bet you could all do a great job.

- Big Jim, London

I traded earning a massive packet in the city and squirreling away the money to earning mediocre wages in the NHS with the trade off of a decent pension. WIth the hours im doing in the NHS its unlikely ill live long enough to enjoy the pension - you cant have it both ways im afraid - i made my choice, you make yours

- Jamie, Liverpool UK

The Civil Servants claiming that they put 11% of their Pension (Tax free) into supporting the current army of Civil Service Pensioners, might like to consider that this 11% is already contributed by the Taxpayer.

The reality of Civil Service Pensions is that the Taxpayer foots the WHOLE amount, and the Civil Servant puts none of his own cash into the fund - in any case there isn't a fund at all.

- Cap, london

As a health service worker I obviously have a vested interest but here's what I see:
I've worked for the health service for over 30 years.
My contracted hours are 37.5 hrs per week.
My actual hours are nearer 50 hours per week.
I work on average one weekend in 2 - I'm currently working my third weekend in a row of 5.
My Christmas holiday this year is 1 day (Christmas Day) - which is about the average for the last 30 years.
When I opted to work in the NHS I opted for about 50 - 100% less income than working in pharmaceuticals or similar.
I don't get a company car, shares, bonuses, discounts, etc and I won't get a golden handshake when I call it a day.
Personally I think I'm worth a decent pension when I retire.

- Colin Mason, Birmingham, England

Labour's trashing of the economy and the public finances means the rule book can effectively be torn up by an incoming Cameron Government. All the wasteful spending on lazy and idle benefit claimants can be slashed. Those in cushy public sector jobs can be booted out and hopefully at last we can put this country back on track to be a "low tax for all" economy instead of the "low tax for rich foreigners" state we have had under Labour.

- Bruce Mcaaw, Grantham

Public Sector workers should be redefined as

Class A Armed Forces, Police, NHS, Fire Services etc
Class B Pen Pushers .............

Class B to get considerably less than Class A

- Dave Morris, Sunderland

I find it amazing that the final salary pension is under attack, in my opinion the people who work within service, regardless of the service they work for, should be rewarded with a good pension, I work within one of the services which has a final salary scheme, and i am under pressure every day i work to perform to the required standard as set by the public, the standards are high and rightly so, don't get me wrong i love my job, but the Conservatives will lose votes if they pursue this policy, it effect the traditionally conservative voters, Police, Fire, Ambulance, NHS and many more, DAVID CAMERON don't damage your election hopes!!!!!!!!!!! Dont lose conservative voters

- John Murphy, luton bedfordshire

The country cannot afford these bloated pensions. It is just one of the reasons that Council Tax has ballooned - our local authority pays 28% of salary into their scheme and the unions have the nerve to say they will not agree to a change.

If nothing is done they will bankrupt the public accounts (and us!) the deficit is AT LEAST £1000 billion. I refuse to pay my 'share'

- Anglo, Sussex UK

"Slash public sector pensions" says the wealthy Mr Cameron. "Definitely" says wealthy George his sidekick. (That means everyone except MPs and those who live in Scotland no doubt).

A private sector pension is much better said Robert Maxwell roundly applauded by fat fee managers and city types anxious to fleece the flock.

Pensions is a funny old game. (apologies to Jimmy Greaves).

- Michael Murphy, brightlingsea england

Presumably he'll start by cutting MPs pensions.

- Vs, Surrey

The way to end so called pension apartheid is to restore decent private sector pensions, not to destroy the remaining final salary schemes. Reversing Brown's disgraceful 1997 tax raid would help, but I doubt it will happen now. Bringing everyone down to a low retirement income is a bizarre way to achieve fairness!

It’s interesting to note that most of the remaining final salary schemes (other than directors, executives and MPs) are amongst unionised workers mainly in the public but also private sector. This is not a coincidence and shows that unions can often defend pension benefits – it’s a line in the sand the TUC has drawn, and rightly so.

A few years ago, MP's voted themselves a 20 percent increase in their own pension benefits just as peoples’ schemes were starting to close. I wonder if Cameron has any plans to axe politicians’ final salary pensions, I doubt it somehow!

Clearly, this is divide and rule politics designed to pit one section of workers against the other - meanwhile the ruling elite are still guaranteed a decent retirement.

- Vince, Reading, England

What's happened here is that the abuse of system by a few will eventually result in the whole structure collpasing for everyone. The unfunded public sector pensions were probabaly seen as just about manageable by the rest of us when a) public sector salaries were more restrained, b) the public sector had proportionately fewer people in it c) life expectancy was lower, and d) private scetor pensions were well funded. Since these things have changed for the worse (another big ironic thank you to Gordon Brown on most of these points), the situation is out of balance and manifestly unfair. The solution probably involves the lucky beneficiaries acknowledgeing this and helping to move away from what is an unrealistic, and unaffordable, position. As many have said before, by far the best example would be set if MPs started the ball rolling with scaling back their own arrangements, but sadly I can't see the current crop of MP's having the wit or sense of honour to do it.

- David H, Aylesbury, England

One of the reasons why private sector pensions are in such a poor state is that the employers failed to make adequate contributions during the good times because of their greed and irresponsibility. For Cameron to turn round and say that public sector pensions should be the same as the grossly mismanaged private sector ones is a joke as it was most of his cronies and champagne Charley mates who mismanaged them!

- Bruce Edwards, London

Public sector pensions are index linked so they increase every year after retirement. Usually private sector ones do not, hence the expression "a fixed income". For a start the Tories should cut the public sector link to indexation. Then when public sector workers retire they will receive the same amount every year, just like the rest of us.

- Philip, Lyme Regis

Tell you what. Halve the number of civil servants, and let them keep their final salary pensions.

After all, will the country really miss 'outreach workers'?

- George, London

Mr no policies again has not got anything meaningful to say.

What about starting with MPs as a starting point.

- Hunsa, Ilford, Uk

As a former Civil Servent I know that when I first started work in 1969 pensions were not directly funded. However, the existence of the pension was used to reduce pay increases which meant staff earned less than they would have done thus saving the exchequer money.

As for cutting costs well staff who have served their years are entitled to receive what is part of their terms and conditions of employment.

As for David Cameron talking about "phasing out" well given staff work for about 40 years it will take many governments using this system.

Anyway, the real solution is not to bash public servents but make private schemes up to the level of the public service.

It should also be remembered that public sector workers cant partake in the various tax fiddles in regard to share options etc. that the private sector use to avoid paying tax. I noticed that following the proposed 45% tax band suggestion to use share options to avoid this are already beinbg discussed. Perhaps it time to tax income recived via these side doors at 60% thus making them worthless.

David Cameron will find himself as the first prime minister where there are no Humphreys to do what he wants.

The real waste is replacing civil servents with contract staff who have to be employed when full tiime civil servents have been made redundent. Some of whom are then paid up to half-pay not to work.

- Mel, Canvey Island, Essex

Britain's private pension provision was the envy of all of Europe, until Brown got his hands on it!

- Wa, Oxford, UK

The Civil Service Pension Scheme was changed for new starters two years ago when the final salary provision was abandoned in favour of a career average calculaton.
This in effect will reduce the pensions of civil servants retiring in the future by around 25%.

Many public servants, including teachers, remain on final salary schemes.

- John, Westminster, London

To those public sector 'workers' who say what about their contributions, just do the sums - tour aggregate contributions invested at current annuity rates. The answer is likely to be a very small fraction of what they will actually receive, while the rest of us, who will pay for their pensions, have little or none ourselves. And to the man who predicts the collapse of public services, would those be the police that don't protect us, the schools that fail our children, the hospitals that give us incurable diseases we didn't have when we went in, the Haringey and Sheffield child protection services, the prisons that let dangerous criminals out early and simply won't take burglars, the MOD which sends soldiers out to face the enemy without proper equipment, the border agency which has no control of who is coming into the country, etc? They are good at loading us up with PC requirements and telling us what to eat and drink but they have forgotten what the function of the state should be - or rather, these public 'services' largely exist not to provide needed services but for the benefit of those supposed to deliver them. Time they found out what reality is like.

- Andrew, Hong Kong

Analysis by Watson Wyatt of figures published this week by HM Treasury shows that the contributions paid by UK Government departments and employees to public sector pension schemes are less than the cost of the new benefits being earned, as measured in Government accounts. Between 2007/08 and 2010/11, the contributions paid are forecast to be £30 billion lower than the accounting value of new benefits built up. In 2005 the Government's public sector pension deficit exceeded £1 trillion for the first time this year, according to the actuarial consultants Watson Wyatt, almost double the most recent estimates from the Treasury.
Government employees have final salary, inflation indexed pensions of
Given the destruction of private sector pensions by Gordon's tax raid which has opened a chasm between public and private pensions it seems unlikely that future generations will be willing or able to subsidize these burdens

- Mike, London

Many essential workers, police, nurses, fireman dedicate their working lives and at times put their own lives at risk to protect the public. A reduction in pensions would inevitably mean many leaving their occupations before retirement age to take up a more lucrative employment.

Would the editor please remind us of M.P's pensions, persons who do not put their lives at risk.

- Ken Rogers, Wivenhoe, UK.

I agree that the police, nurses etc. do a worthwhile job but, as the financial crisis has shown so do we all. I know they save lives but we keep the country and the treasury going. Why should there be such an unfair advantage for the public sector. We are all in this together and they do not need to worry about pensions and we pay for theirs at the expense of our own. They should also retire at 65 why is there one rule for them and another for us?

- Vanessa, London

Probably an interesting way to lose an election .

- Peter Mosedale, chichester uk

Great Idea David. If implemented would be highly likely to lead to soaring crime rates, a Jamaican style murder rate, US style medical care and anarchy...but heh worth a few extra votes from those wearing blinkers !! If anyone has a passport it may be worth renewing it now.

- Dave, Brighton,UK

You can tell it's pantomimne time again. I just read the words 'hard working' and 'public servants' in the same sentence.

- L.Taubler, London / UK

I notice that not even the Tory Central Office posters are speaking up for Director's Pensions. I can understand that you can't defend the indefensible but you usually support the wise words of Little Dave who seems to have a blind spot about the way selfish and greedy Directors award themselves huge and undeserved Pensions for just a few years work, regardless of results.

- Winston Kirkule, uxbridge UK

well done David! not before time too!

- Ashley, London

Don't worry, it's meaningless. A little while ago Daid Camoron was saying that the wealth gap between Rich and poor was unacceptable. When asked what he would do about it, he changed the subject. He is great at pointing out things that have gone wrong ut never gets around to explaining how he would fix it. For example Vote Blue Go Green has now been quietly dropped because it is a vote loser.

- E Heath, uxbridge UK

The proposal of phasing out the gold-plated final salary pension scheme with a cut-off date is a brilliant idea. Most private sectors had to stop their schemes as they are getting unaffordable, so for fairness and the good of the nation, the government should follow suit. Of course the fortunate ones are still entitled to their guaranteed final salary pension. I just don't want a pension time-bomb for the future generations. So roll on election.

- K Lee, Cheshunt, UK

This argument often sounds like "the politics of envy": "I don't have a final salary pension, so why should you!"

My own view is that, while I have a money purchase pension, I don't begrudged anyone who has a final salary pension.

Rather than focus on envy, I'd suggest we need to make sure that those with final salary pensions appreciate the likely cost of providing them (e.g. given increasing longevity) and that this is factored into salary negotiations.

In the private sector, I suspect we have missed the opportunity to move to risk-sharing schemes (along Dutch lines?) and will instead end up with exclusively money purchase provision.

- Richard Hancock, Bracknell, UK

about time someone had the nerve to cut the public sector excesses, now they might understand how those in the private sector felt when brown plundered their pensions, leaving many of them with nothing for the future, at least you will get a pension just not the one you thought

- Scouser, liverpool

If they start with their own pensions first then maybe the rest will follow but I doubt it,they will keep the best pensions for themselves which is gold platted

- Ray, London

I hope he is going to slash MP's pensions

- Phil George, CASTRO MARIM PORTUGAL

they tell us that they contribute 11% of their salaries. could someone tell me how much is added to it by by the taxpayer? as there is no tax on the 11% contribution tell us what it costs the treasury to ensure a salary of such magnitude. the cry of newlabour is fairness for all let me know when its our turn in the trough

- John Green, Nottingham uk

Nick (Fireman) - you do contribute a good % in the public sector - but as a quick calculation if you'd started on £20k 30 years ago and worked for 30 years as a fireman, putting in 11% per year you'd have enoguh money for a £500 per month pension at 53. Maybe you could let us know what the average fireman can expect to retire on after 30 years service (which I think is the earliest?). If it's rather more that £6k a year (4 or 5 times that I would guess) then that's the extra the tax payer gives you for the other 30+ years of your life. This is a reward that the country can't keep paying for and it will bankrupt the country. Difficult to accept but those are the facts I'm afraid. By all means earn a bit more but please expect to retire at 65 like the rest of us.

- Mike C, Manchester

Sally of Orpington, funnily enough I have lots of friends and family who work/worked for the public sector, including some in Bromley, where I assume you work. Although some moan of lots of work, they all seem to be paid very well, leave work on the dot, do a pitiful 35 hour week and plan to take very early retirement, one has even retired so early his pension hasn't kicked in yet, that is how well looked after they are, about time people compared private and public wages, I think you'd be surprised. So don't tell me I don't know anything about it. I guess if you were self employed you would know how hard it is to make ends meet, maybe for you it was too hard, hence the easy life in the public sector.

- Edward, Aylesbury

Were I David Cameron I would disregard Public Pension cut's,and consentrate on cutting the Public Sector work force,I would scrap the NHS,make all education private,scrap the Fire Service (far cheaper to rebuild building's)and the social service's departments,and stop all benifit's,if you do not work,you do not eat.

- Jean, London

During the short-lived Thatcher Economic Miracle, between her two recessions, Companies all took Pensions Holidays because their Pension Schemes were in credit. It seems that the excess was used to bump up executive salaries and to pay for Golden Hellos and Goodyes and pensions that a normal worker could never achieve. Perhaps if an incoming Tory administration brought in a law saying that Companies could only have one type of pension for workers and board members that would be seen to be fair. However I would assume that Directors will continue in their greedy and selfish ways insisting that Companies cannot afford Pensions except for the Directors.

- Arthur Atkins, uxbridge UK

I have been a Fireman for the past 24 years,and have contributed 11%,yes 11% of my salary all for all those year's,if people in the private sector wish public sector worker's to deal with their own pension's,fine,then see to it that we recieve the proper pay that would enable us to do so.

- Nick Morgan, Horley ( London Fire Brigade )

Back to traditional Tory values.Divide and rule.

- Colin, barking essex

I could not agree more. Let's slash MP's pensions first.

- Roger Slade, Winchester, Hampshire, England

To any public sector worker out there I say make the most of it while you can. The battle lines are being drawn. Thatcher took on the Unions' in the 80s and the storm front is heading your way. There will be blood and not a tear shed. Efficiencies and service that are common place in the private sector will be wrung out of you. You don't like it, see if you can find a private sector job ~ for one thing you won't be allowed all the sickies you pull in the public sector or the first class travel on trains.

- Keith, Bath

Arthur

You are wrong. I contributed 11% of my salary to the Local Government Pension Scheme as a civil servant. I contributed 6% of my salary to the PWC Pension scheme when I worked in the private sector. OK?

- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa. Spain

I was a university lecturer in the UK for 18 years until 2004 and I made contributions to my pension in all that time. I have a final salary (about 42000 pounds in my last year) pension due soon and it will amount to about 10,000 pounds per year, which will be taxed. For me this is quite good but not really that much compared to some others mentioned here.

- Jo Mo, Bangkok, Thailand

People who work in the public sector, well civil service don't warrant this absurd benefit. Police maybe and Forces, Nurses etc yes. Civil Servants go take a jump you lazy, 9-5 jobsworth, paper pushers....

- Todd, London

If he is so concerned about this why didn't he bring it up when he addressed the TUC? It's yet another example of Brave Dave showing backbone when he is among friends, in this case Directors, and telling other groups what they want to hear. The guy is a sneaky coward, who is looking forward to being Prime Minister, then retiring on a huge State Pension while augmenting his already millionaire status with books and directorships. A typical Tory on the make.

- Harold Hill, Acton UK

Public Sector workers can blame Brown for this. Brown's attack on non-Public Secotr pensions began with the removal of the Dividend tax credit which was the nail in the coffin for private sector final salary schemes. Now that most of the private sector pensions are defined contribution we begrudge funding final salary schemes for the Public Sector. Especially those for Council employees (don't mention binmen because they are employed by private sector companies)

- Martin, Reading, UK

About time. A sense of realism but what chance of Cameron getting elected with over 5 million State sector workers voting against him. Why not pay all pensioners a decent state pension equal to minimum wage for a 40 hour week and then if you want more, you save for it yourself. Do away with all the means tested supplements and additional payments (and you also get rid of the army of administrators needed to run it). If you get tax relief on the savings than fair enough that you pay tax on it when you draw it, but if you save from tax paid income than why not make the pension savings tax free when you draw it. Get rid of the compulsion to buy annuities at the same time. Simplify and make more cost effective

- Steve, London

The rights and wrongs of the public sector pension in its current form are irrelevent - we just can not afford it. The size of the public sector has mushroomed and the benifits too great. At the very least reitirement age has got to be 65 for all.

- Jeremy E, London

Why doesn't David Camoron lecture the Directors on their greed and selfishness. I know a non-executive Director who for years has been on salary committees. He gets paid for attending one Lunch a month and agreeing to whatever pay rises are proposed. The Directors of the other Company have the same arrangement with his company and so executive rewards and pension arrangements are allowed to escalate. Its a Cosy old world for Directors.

- Tommy Cockles, Acton UK

Why doesn't David Camoron lecture the Directors on their greed and selfishness. I know a non-executive Director who for years has been on salary committees. He gets paid for attending one Lunch a month and agreeing to whatever pay rises are proposed. The Directors of the other Company have the same arrangement with his company and so executive rewards and pension arrangements are allowed to escalate. Its a Cosy old world for Directors.

- Tommy Cockles, Acton UK

Did Brave Dave Camoron tell the Directors that the time has come for them to forego their Golden Hello's and Golden Goodbyes regardless of their success or otherwise? Did he also ask the Directors to give up their non-contributory Pensions which dwarf any Public Sector Pension? Will he also set us an example by refusing his Public Sector Pension for being an M.P. by opting out and making his own arrangements? Perhaps if less money had leaked away into the Boardrooms over the last thirty years Companies would be better off.

- Hugh Leader, ealing UK

To be clear David Cameron is not having a go at anyone in the private or public sector where their pensions are properly funded by employee or employer contributions. He is stating the obvious that most do not dare speak, and that is “because I am me the rest of you should pay for me for life”. Some of the State worker pensions are unfunded, and are nothing more than promises to pay by politicians on the basis that it will be someone else’s problem come the time.

In the coming years it is anticipated that there will be more people in retirement than actually in work. So the distorted thinking that someone else will pay just sets out to confuse in the real world.

Remembering of course a few years back we had the healthiest private pension provisions in the EU, and then Gordon Brown applied new taxes to the funds.

- Ian, Reading, England

Our final-salary pensions used to be held up as a reason why public-sector salaries are lower than comparable private-sector ones. Are they also proposing to increase our salaries to be in line with the private sector?

Thought not. I guess it'll have to be down to market forces. Look for public services to collapse once this recession is over.

- Nigel, London

Any other NHS workers feel the pull of the private sector suddenly get a bit stronger....

- Anne, London, uk

At last! The bloated public sector needs a big axe taking to it, starting with this unfair pension issue. Why should Council bosses earn the same high salaries as those in the private sector when they are taking none of the risks involved in business.

- Mark, Bournemouth England

Arthur,
People employed in the public sector have not contributed to their final salary pension - I have on their behalf as a taxpayer in the private sector.
Finally a bit of realism from a politician as the costs of the public sector unfunded pensions will be unmanageable. When MP's stop their outrageous pension pots at my expense then I will believe they are serious.
This is a step in the right direction though.

- J Warburton, Croydon,Surrey

According to Dominic Lawson of The Independent, “A recent study shows that to get an annual pension of £10,000 a year the average private-sector worker paying into a ‘defined contribution scheme’ would have to work for 46 years, while a public-sector cousin would have to work for 23 years and an MP just 7 years. In fact private-sector workers are paying more into pensions received by retired public-sector workers than they are paying into their own pension schemes."

- Joe, London, UK

Andy, London - "It should be remembered that public sector workers have contributed to these pensions". Go and get a calculator and do this quick maths test please. One of my friends works in the Police and earns c£40k pa - he pays in around 10% of money into his pension. He can retire at 53 on over £35k a year and will probably live to 80. Assume average salary was £20k over his working life - he's put in c£60k over his 30 years working (+ capital growth of course) and stands to get over £1m back - not bad eh! Then ask yourself who pays the rest and how many more of these people there are (Ian Blair on £126k per year at 55 - so probaly c£3m here for example).It's unfair, and more importantly unaffordable - we've now 5m public sector workers.I pay over £8k a year into my private pension and they expect me to get c£18k pa at 60 (and reducing.

- David Braddock, Knutsford

Andy, London - "It should be remembered that public sector workers have contributed to these pensions". Go and get a calculator and do this quick maths test please. One of my friends works in the Police and earns c£40k pa - he pays in around 10% of money into his pension. He can retire at 53 on over £35k a year and will probably live to 80. Assume average salary was £20k over his working life - he's put in c£60k over his 30 years working (+ capital growth of course) and stands to get over £1m back - not bad eh! Then ask yourself who pays the rest and how many more of these people there are (Ian Blair on £126k per year at 55 - so probaly c£3m here for example).It's unfair, and more importantly unaffordable - we've now 5m public sector workers.I pay over £8k a year into my private pension and they expect me to get c£18k pa at 60 (and reducing.

- David Braddock, Knutsford

Pete from Birmingham, you've got a couple of bits wrong there:

A) The vast majority of pension schemes in the private sector are contributory (and aren't final-salary)

B) You may recall that "BT, British Gas, etc." were part of the public sector and, now they have to face up to commercial realities they no longer offer retirement at 60.

- Keith, Wirral

Edward of Aylesbury: You are welcome to my job if you think all I do all day is 'scratch around'. I am typing this whilst eating a sandwich at my desk, after having a quick look at the news headlines (do you ever manage to go out lunchtimes. What is a proper lunchbreak, I've no idea? I have worked in the private sector most of my life and only took on a civil servant role in the last recession in 1991 when I was self-employed. We are up to our necks in work, constantly under pressure working to very tight deadlines, yet get absolutely no perks whatsoever apart from our pension (we even bring in our own tea, coffee, etc,) and for your information our salary increases are kept deliberately low because having lots of hard working, low paid workers, we are actually paying for our own pensions anyway! If it weren't for receiving a pension I would have never worked in the civil service. Take away the pension and literally thousands of staff would simply leave. Then people can start moaning when they don't get their childrens allowance, their state pensions, health care, etc, as its the lower paid civil servants that keep it ticking over, not the senior staff who DO get big, fat pensions. So think before you make remarks you know nothing about, You only seem to believe what the media want you to believe.

- Sally, Orpington, Kent

Brown destroyed the future of final salary pension schemes in his very first budget with the abolition of ACT relief in an act that was typical of his naivety. The Tories had used the treat of abolishing ACT for years to keep pensions industry in line but would never actually do it because they understood the long term damage it would do. Brown has created a two tier pension system in this country which in the long run is unsustainable as well as unfair. Cameron should be given credit for recognising that public sector pensions are no longer viable and proposing action.

- Ian, London

The relentless attack on public sector pensions continues.
However Cameron is being a little disingenious.
Firstly the majority of those pensioners have very small pensions it is only the senior people who receive good deals.
Secondly who are these people? Well to start with there are all our MP's and look how they feather their nest. Next come the civil servants who carry out the government tasks. A special category is the armed forces who put their lives on the line for our politicians yes they are in the public sector.
Also it should be remembered that the government has held down public sector pay for any years thus diluting the value of these [pensions.
Also those who who will not receive such pensions often chose their place of employment because they thought the rewards and pensions would be better.
Everybody takes a risk when entering employment and it now seems people forget these facts

- Philip Hatcher, Watford UK

This is draging the country down more than anything else.gordon Brown has created this army of civil servants to protect his vote.I feel sorry for those who may lose their jobs.But do they not look around and see those in the private sector losing theirs.Woolworths Staff working on a very low salary have lost everything.the myth that the public sector are low paid is nonsense they are protected by powerful unions and work a 35 hour week and have their pension paid. Try getting that in the private sector.It is bold of David Camaron to stick his neck out on this.

- Dave Smith, Croydon

Well done Dave. Welcome to the real world for all the jobsworths. The augument about lower salaries has long been blown out of the water.
The management in the public sector are working there because they would not measure up in the private sector. For a start get rid of all jobs with coordinator, facilitator, advisor and diversity in the job title

- Trevn, Abu Dhabi

We all contribute to our pensions, public workers are no different. It is also a fallacy that they are underpaid relative to the private sector, recent studies have shown that they are paid on a par with equivalent private sector jobs. In addition most public servants I have experienced have forgotten that they are there to serve the taxpayer and are the least efficient, most unmotivated and lazty workers.(as they don't fear redundancy). The labour government has spent the last 11 years buying votes at our expense. And please don't try and use how wonderful nurses or police are. The hospitals kill you with MRSA as they are filthy and the police can't catch anyone except motorists.

- Jon, London

About blinking time DC came out and said what we all want to hear. Hopefully he will have the cojones to take on the unions when he is PM in 2010.

- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland

Re Andy. Try getting a clerical job in the private sector and the salar is so much lower than the public. This has been true for years and also covers manual, admin and professional work. I used to be a local government worker and always regarded it as'sheltered employment' compared to the private sector.
Some public service workers, like my husband, realise how unfair their gererous pension is and not well deserved. They are not all mercenary

- Jan, London

Time to slash the public sector full stop. We need to maintain the essentials, and pay the proper rate for good people, but cut the rest.

- Alan In Bow, London

About bl**dy time!

If you use the pension calculator for teachers that is on the internet it explains that you need to earn £50k a year to get the equivelant pension in the private sector...

- Mark, Hammersmith

So David has woken up at last. Now that the Brown,Mendelson and Darling comedy trio have shown their true political colours, perhaps he can began to re-present true tory values.

This public sector pension issue is one that is not going to go away. When I was young public servants were not well paid but they were secure in their employment and could look forward to a contribution free gratuity or pension. That changed a long time ago, now they are well paid and entitled to be treated like the rest of the working population. Final pension schemes should be universally abolished.

I would like to see Cameron attack the sabre rattling that is currently going by the comedy trio plus their Manager, Mervyn King, in an attempt to bully the Banks. So yes the Banks got us into this mess, worldwide, by foolish lending, but just when they start to exercise 'prudence' it is suddenly out of fashion. You have only to look at the Woolworth failure to realise that Banks cannot be expected to finance failing ventures.

I just hope that we are not conned into propping up the failing car industry. Remember please that TATA bid with their eyes wide open and if companies like BMW and Ford couldn't make the luxury industry pay why should TATA? Incidentally I thought that EU rules did not permit government financial intervention into the private sector!

- Jim Cooke, NUNEATON

I get really fed up with the police and other very important services always being quoted as the underdogs, they have very good pensions that very low paid workers also contribute to and they have only a state pension to look forward to which in todays climate is not that much, GB looks only to reward his traditional supporters the rest can go hang or be means tested, it is about time this country was run for the good of all and not just the loony left wing

- Vivian, valencia spain

I'd like to see MPs have a good look at their own salaries and pensions before having the audacity to expect public sector workers to accept low pay rises and face losing their final salary pension schemes.

- Sharon, London

I work in the public sector(police service)and object to the constant attack on the public pension schemes. For most of my service I have been contributing 11%(compulsorily)of my salary into the pension scheme. What percentage of salary is paid by employees in the private sector?. I doubt it is more than 5/6%, probably non contributory in many cases. Even in other areas of the public sector 6% is the norm. In the 1980s many private pension schemes allowed 'pension holidays' where employees contributed nothing to their pension schemes for years, but still retained the full benefits upon retirement. Public sector workers had no such 'holiday' benefit and were required to continue contributions for the full term of their employment. Another myth is that public sector workers enjoy 'early retirement'. Until very recently most major private companies, BT, British Gas etc, set the normal retirement age at 60, this is exactly the same as it always has been in the public sector. Yes, the public sector pension schemes are probably in need of an overall, but not until Cameron and Brown, along with their MPs, set an example by getting their greedy, dishonest snouts out of the trough of Parliamentary expenses and false accounting will the public sector Unions take any notice.

- Pete, Birmingham UK

It is not just pensions that should be tackled -there needs to be a cutback on the huge salaries that top council officials are receiving:

For instance, the lead story in the East Anglian Daily Times is that Suffolk County Council plans to increase care home charges by up to 89%
The maximum of £368 will go up to a whopping £694 a week, in a bid to save about £470,000.

Meanwhile the Chief Executive of Suffolk County Council, Andrea Hill, is on a salary of nearly £220,000 p.a.

Why should absolutely essential services like care homes be penalized to fund salaries like this?

- Sally Wainman, Ipswich Suffolk

The public sector pension liability [which incidentally is conveniently and absurdly "parked" outside official Govt. debt projections] is the single biggest legacy of Tony Blair. When it was patently obvious over 5 years ago that the country cannot afford this, expecially with the bloated public sector, Blair utterly capitulated to the unions, leaving an awful mess for the next administration to sort out. Whether Cameron has the balls to address this properly remains to be seen, but at least he's recognised it.

- Oscillator, London

It may well be time to look at the value of public service pensions, but let's not forget:
-Public servants will have contributed about 6.5% of their salaries for the whole of their working lives
-Public servants, both working and retired, are tax-payers too

- Geoff Cosson, Brentwood, Essex

I think we have finally reached the point where this will be a vote winner.

- Blackstone Coke, London

There used to be final salary pensions in private firms oh 10 years ago-now they are mostly closed to new entrants and the existing final salary schemes for contributors were frozen at the same time...why should public servants paid for by the public be any different?
Defined contribution schemes rely entirely on growth and growing markets to add up to any kind of pension...if public sector employees were in one maybe the governement would pay more attention to investment fund regulation and the health of the markets LONG TERM rather than for tax grabbing purposes.I think this has the makings of a campaign which has now started and will interest the media.

- A Moreno, Luxembourg

You can see why the Conservatives have not provided any policy details before - this last couple of weeks have shown their true colours.

It should be remembered that public sector works have contributed to these pensions. Many of these workers have worked at a much reduced salary to that they could have earned in the private sector in order provide a public service (nurses, ambulance crew, firemen, police) at a generally poor level of income. If their pensions are taken away why would they even consider working in the public sector?

- Andy, London

well said Dave!! Cut the FAT from the system its long overdue. How can a country run on recycled money and no new money coming into the system.

- Fly, london

I don't dispute that the public sector have contributed towards their pensions but with the 11 year invention of non jobs created by Nulabour (see the Guardian)and the incredible rise in other job numbers it is simply time that the rug was well and truly pulled out. Many thousands of Government and Council staff have massive salary's way beyond a reasonable level whilst pensioners struggle to heat one room.

- Roger, Surrey.

Thank god. Its about time someone stood up and promised reform of the grossly generous public service pensions. Why should they benefit when the private sector has to sacrifice significantly more for significantly less. I would love a job in the public sector, only I fear I would get bored scratching around with nothing to do, until salary review time when I would go on strike.

- Edward, Aylesbury

It had to be said, and now Cameron has said it.

Since Labour took over, the civil service has ballooned, and with it, the pension liability for the new workers.

The unions won't like it, and we will have strikes on a major scale, but we simply can't afford to pay their pensions.

- George, London

At last a politician grabbing a tiger by its tail. However, I am afraid our Dave has just lost quite a few votes because "turkeys will never vote for Christmas" The sheer cost of public sector pensions will have to be adressed at some stage and if everyone (including politicians )were on money purchase schemes the whole country would be fairer place. You cannot have the wealth creating sector of society worse off than the public sector- it just builds resentment.

- Michael, London

It was about time that Cameron spoke out on the growing gap between public and private sector pensions. It's going to be one of the big issues at the next election.

- Phil Jones, London UK

Thanks to Gormless my pension will be pretty worthless inspite of a large proportion of my salary being paid in a private scheme. So why should I/We subsidise a bunch of jobsworth.

Quite right for Cameron to curb this.

- Alec, West London

Has David Cameron taken leave of his senses ? He and his shadow chancellor are, seemingly, becoming irrational in their statements and I fear, as a concervative, the party are or will become unelectable!!
Most people in the public sector have contributed to final salary schemes and they are, as such, not a free gift or perk!!!

- Arthur Lincoln, London

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