On keeping one's promises

[emperor]

Why is it OK to consider changing the law to allow the government to renege on promises it made to civil servants, when we're not considering doing similar to allow us to renege on, say, PFI deals?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Because they aren't changing the law. they can't. All benefits accrued will be paid.

What they are changing is how FUTURE payments will be handled, and those have always been subject to change, if anybody had read the small print.

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/robertpeston/2010/06/bbc_removes_gold_plate_from_pe.html

Specifically search for 'when a BBC employee looks at his or pension statement under the new arrangement' and read the following six paragraphs: the same applies to the civil service.

S.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh dear, that's what you get for assuming the news cycle hasn't moved on and it's all still about pensions.

Oh well. Still an interesting article by Mr Peston.

S.