Last week, I attended my first-ever SOLACE conference, which seemed to be a rather sober and sombre affair. 

The theme of the conference was the state's role in driving behaviour change, but most discussions were around the policy implications of the UK's financial position, and of, potentially, a new Conservative Government some time next year.

 These issues were covered in the speech of Phillip Hammond, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury. There was barely a line in his speech that didn't deserve a fuller debate, but I will pick up three items briefly.

He repeated the policy announcement that public sector salaries higher than the prime minister's would have to be signed off by the chancellor. 

You have to ask yourselves how this squares with localism and the right of councils to determine their own arrangements?  Not to mention the choice of the PM as a benchmark – he is effectively the chief executive officer of Number 10 Downing St, a rather smaller body than most local authorities by spend and staffing.

Second, we have the idea that public sector pensions would be capped at £50,000 a year. This ignores the differential status of those who have made large employee contributions, such as local authority employees, and those who have not, such as civil servants.  

I am sure the lawyers are already placing orders for new boats, paid for by the proceeds of the court battles that will ensue. To see a better way forward, Mr Hammond should read Paul Lankester's excellent recent column on public sector pensions (District view, The MJ, 22 October).

To be fair, both man parties are playing on this particular wicket – a combination of conscious deflection from rows about MP expenses – and, indeed, pensions – from last summer, and populist positioning for next.

The third issue I would touch on was Mr Hammond's multiple mentions of productivity and value for money in his speech, entirely understandable on the back of the longest recession in recorded history. 
My worry is that, despite the promised ‘bonfire' of PIs and targets, the centralist tendencies of any new government, coupled with the financial crisis, will swiftly lead to the creation of productivity measures and targets for local authorities to collect and report against.

Such an approach is doomed to fail, but not without a lot of pain along the way, unless, of course, you are an accountant or auditor, in which case, sharpen your pencils. You will be back in the spotlight.

Abdool Kara is chief executive of Swale BC