Progress towards a possible settlement in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland of the firefighters’ pension dispute underlines how exposed the Conservative coalition is on the matter.

The stone-faced refusal of Tory and Liberal Democrat ministers to budge an inch emphasises the case made by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) that there should be a parliamentary debate on the government’s mishandling of this issue.

Hypocrisy is hard-wired into the DNA of Con-Dem government ministers, but this is never more obvious than in the case of the fire service.

Ministers line up to tell Parliament how proud they are of Britain’s firefighters whenever their selfless response to major emergencies, from bomb blasts to major fires or floods, hits the headlines.

But these brave heroes are transformed miraculously into selfish wreckers of the economy if they have the temerity to stand up for their own pay and conditions.

There is no justice whatsoever in the government case that firefighters work on the front line until they are 60 or retire early with a consequent fall in their pension entitlement.

It is simply part of the austerity agenda that the government delivers on behalf of its friends the bankers and other corporate hangers-on.

The Tories and Liberal Democrats have presided over financial cuts to the fire and rescue services since they took office in 2010, resulting in over 5,000 front-line firefighter jobs being axed.

The FBU tried to convince the government of the justice of its case, but ministers were unmoved.

They have been single-minded in their determination to lay down terms and conditions and to force FBU members to like it or lump it.

Firefighters are made of sterner stuff than that — it’s partly what makes them join the service in the first place.

They will not be cowed by victimisation of strike leaders such as FBU executive member Ricky Matthews, who has been sacked by the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Service.

FBU resistance to the employers’ plan to make them work on the front line until age 60 is not just for the convenience of union members.

It also meets the needs of people throughout Britain who do not want their lives and property dependent on firefighters no longer as fit as they were in earlier life.

Everyone should back the FBU in their fight for justice against the penny-pinching Tory bully-boys.

Rooting out sexism

WHATEVER else may be said about Ukip and its policies, the party has acted quickly and correctly in suspending its general secretary Roger Bird over an allegation of sexual harassment.

The prompt response by Ukip stands in stark contrast to the Liberal Democrats’ shilly-shallying and downright betrayal of women members who complained about their former chief executive Lord Rennard.

No political party can claim with any measure of credibility to be immune to sexism or sexual harassment.

Every organisation has a responsibility to demonstrate that it will not allow a cover-up of oppressive or exploitative behaviour.

This requires constant reiteration of the basic principle of gender equality and a readiness to act swiftly and decisively when a complaint is received.

Heightened public scrutiny of Ukip affairs in the wake of misogynist and other obscurantist comments by some of its representatives has undoubtedly played a part in ensuring prompt action.

All parties, and other public bodies, must be kept on their toes over how seriously they treat issues of equality.