A Conservative Government would prioritise tackling the excesses of public sector pensions

The Telegraph reports this morning that over the next week it is embarking on a wide-ranging series on the Conservatives and here is part of today's offering:

The Conservatives would tear up gold-plated pension deals for highly paid public sector workers as part of a wider spending squeeze. The move is expected to lead a wider attack on lucrative final-salary pension schemes - which are now almost obsolete in the private sector - if David Cameron wins the election.

Mr Cameron and George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, are determined that the “pension apartheid” is tackled. Mr Osborne has drawn up plans to begin by looking at highly paid GPs. He has identified how some GPs “retire,” taking a full pension, only to be re-employed shortly afterwards as a consultant and incur new benefits.

A senior Tory source said: “It is clear that this sort of practice has got to stop and this is the area we will look to tackle initially.”

The report goes on to suggest that such proposals will "trigger an outcry" from the unions that would "test David Cameron's resolve".

Jonathan Isaby