Ministers must not blame the public sector workforce for the deficit warns CIPFA chief executive Steve Freer. Writing in The MJ this week Mr Freer says that while there are ‘some unpalatable positions' on workforce issues such as pay and pensions ‘I am not entirely sure I understand the Government's early tactics.' He says: ‘It is disappointing that all too often these messages seem to come with an unhelpful rhetoric about the sector's multiple failings and latent inefficiency. This creates two problems. First it demoralises the workforce, precisely the people who need to be at the top of their game to manage the delivery of cuts. Second it distorts the public view and makes it even more difficult to engineer solutions.' Mr Freer adds: ‘Far from beating up public servants would it not be much smarter for the Government to be pitching for their cooperation and support at a deeply practical level?'