Re: More FUD
"I think that our AC above has no idea how much a yacht costs, or any idea how little a civil servant can earn even at the highest employment grades..."
Dunno what you are paid but £117k sound like a shed load from where I'm looking.
Might not buy a Yacht, but it will get you a cosy retirement and if you can top it up with after dinner speaking (Think George Osborne @£500k/year).
"April 2014 ASHE report gives median gross annual earnings of £22,044 for all employees and £27,195 for full-time employees."
"According to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), average gross annual earnings for full-time employees was £27,600 in 2015"
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583819/FOI2016-26337_grade_salary_bands.pdf