The Government clearly doesn't worry about all of the working poor

In terms of Civil Service pay, I'm comparatively lucky. I'm never going to become rich on my salary, but my needs are met as long as I don't get careless.

Many of my colleagues, on the other hand, earning less than £20,000 per year, struggle to raise families and put a roof over their heads. Housing in London is increasingly out of their reach, their salaries have lost value in real terms, and they acknowledge that the Government is terribly keen to use them as an example to the private sector in terms of clamping down on wage inflation. Of course, most of them have been affected by the loss of the 10% rate band, and some will still be worse off after Alastair's little fix.

So, the pay rise due for June will be quite welcome, you would think. Alas, despite the unions putting in their pay claim in good time, it has been announced that HM Revenue & Customs will need more time to commence negotiations, as they are still unclear as the amount of money available to cover any settlement.

Given that the lapsing of the existing pay deal was hardly a secret, it is a sign of the increasing shambles at the top of the political food-chain that the message sent to staff who have been asked to make 5% budget savings year on year whilst shedding 25% the staff over six years is, "We don't care enough about you to fulfil our moral and ethical obligations toward you."

I fully accept that civil servants aren't wildly popular. The image of tea-drinking, form-filling jobsworths is one that has been cultivated by the right-wing press over many years, yet when something happens that upsets people, the cry of "something must be done" is heard. By whom? The government, of course. Who does these things on behalf of government? Oh yes, civil servants...

If you're too incompetent to live up to your end of a contract, there is a price to be paid, unless you're the government and the contract is with your own staff, it seems. On the other hand, if you're a government that's 20% behind in the polls, you might not want to see a naturally friendly constituency go out on strike against you, especially when you need all the votes you can muster... Over to you, Mr Darling?