Thinner Blue Line.

When we have to make cuts in the numbers of police officers being recruited on order to protect the pensions of those that are already serving or have retired then it seems to Mr Smith that something is not right somewhere.

"Up to 30 fewer police officers are to be recruited in the north-east than was planned after councillors moved to plug a force pension funding shortfall."

Fast And Loose.

Mr Smith thinks the SNP have made a tactical mistake on this issue. He doesn't even believe those people who received higher pensions than they should have done would have expected to keep getting them going forward once the error was detected. This appears to be another one of those examples of where the SNP Scottish Government are playing fast and loose with public finances in the name of creating unnecessary divisions and tensions with Westminster.

"The Scottish Government was last night accused by Labour of being "utterly irresponsible" with taxpayers' money after deciding to continue overpaying pension payouts to thousands of retired Scottish public sector workers."

Pension-ed Off.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the taxpayer cough up £32 million to cover a deficit in your pension fund?

"The Treasury accused the SNP of "gesture politics" over the row which saw Holyrood ministers claim they were forced to find £32m to fund a new police and firefighters' pension deal because they were given no money to match an English agreement."

Is there any issue in the world of the SNP controlled Scottish Government that isn't a potential source of disagreement between Holyrood and Westminster? Mr Smith thinks that the more of these argumetns that are had, the more credibility and goodwill the Scottish Government loses in the eyes of the Scottish voter.

There is a limit to how often you can cry wolf, and what happens when there is an issue that really matters?

Eck's Pension.

It was all going so well for Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond, but now he faces an immediate hit on his personal finances with the news that he may not receive his immediate £38,000 a year pension when he stands down as FM.

"HENRY McLeish and Jack McConnell will be laughing all the way to the bank. MSPs are set to axe one of the biggest perks of leaving Bute House: the £38,000-a-year pension enjoyed by former First Ministers from the moment they leave office. But McConnell and McLeish will continue to receive the money. The review of MSP pensions would apply to Alex Salmond and future First Ministers, who would get the cash only when they reached 65."

It made no sense for ex-FMs to get this perk, especially when like Jack McConnell they continue as Members of the Scottish Parliament, and even less in the case of Henry McLeish when he was only FM for twelve months before having to resign. But our Eck won't be laughing all the way to the bank if the change is agreed.

Supplementing your pension.

Mr Smith notes that Members of the Scottish Parliament are to be given the opportunity of "voting" themselves an increased final salary contribution pension.

Wouldn't it be nice to vote yourself a final salary pension equivalent to one fortieth of your salary for each year of service you have, even if you had to contribute 10% of your salary up front?

Yet again though it is the taxpayer that is picking up most of the tab. Nice work if you can get it.