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The senior civil service as soon as the government 's Rolls-Royce purring taken for a joy-ride through the major professions

What is the difference between an Athens bus driver and the chairman of the British Medical Association? The answer is not much. Right now they are both threatening to do nasty things with other people in the defense of their wallets. They do not say so, of course, but we can spade a spade. No one is as determined as in the search to earn money by working.

Voted a former Lord Chancellor, Lord Havers, he said only once against his party. It was on a matter so serious, so immoral, so damaging to the national interest that he "\ no option." This issue was the attempt of the Thatcher government, the lawyers 'monopoly in the high court. As a lawyer, he shuddered at the narrow end so terrible a wedge. Could government scandals, inequities and incompetence could come and go, without batting an eyelash his rule, but a reform that sully the charges of the bar, was a moral issue. He fought, and succeeded.

We all owe loyalty to our profession and all professions are conspiracies against the laity. But in an era of cutbacks George Bernard Shaw 's maxim takes a peculiar ferocity. This week, Liam Fox showed a rare fit of ministerial pique and banned the service chiefs from the inner sanctum of the defense priorities. Generals, admirals and air vice-marshals - the largest party fraud on taxpayers in the modern era (defense budget) - are excluded from the new Defence Board. They boasted they could pacify Helmand and to overthrow Gaddafi. Now Fox has finally called their bluff. For him and his fellow defense chiefs are an expensive bunch of professional opportunity.

Other professions are also on the warpath, with more success. NHS consultants have been fighting against the threat of competition loosening their grip at the hospitals, especially by private specialist clinics. "The protection of NHS" is the code to pay for protection. Family doctors are "considering strike" in defense of their final salary pensions. On Thursday, teachers are striking in the same matter, with head teachers threatened to participate in the fall. None of this has to do with the public interest, with only money, public money.

David Cameron came to office on a cloud of goodwill. Officials busied themselves with the coalition agreement. The cuts programme was clearly set out and given strong political leadership. "At long last, I get up in the morning knowing exactly what I have to do," reported one senior civil servant.