UK’s May stands firm on austerity
EMBATTLED British Prime Minister Theresa May defended her government’s austerity policy yesterday, amid signs of cabinet splits over the sevenyear squeeze on public spending.
The Conservative leader, who is battling to assert her authority after last month’s disastrous general election, drew loud cheers from her MPs when she insisted that Britain must live within its means.
In a robust exchange in the House of Commons, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the government of flip-flopping and floundering over whether to raise wages for teachers, nurses and other public-sector workers.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and Environment Secretary Michael Gove have all indicated they will support lifting the pay freeze on about five million people.
Downing Street, itself, suggested last week that it would review the policy – only to insist hours later that nothing had changed, a position repeated by Finance Minister Philip Hammond.
The confusion led to accusations that May was no longer in control of her government, after losing her party’s majority in parliament in the June 8 vote.
During her weekly question time, May said she would consider very carefully recommendations from pay review bodies.
But she said: “We need to balance the need to be fair to public-sector workers, to protect jobs in the public sector, and be fair to those who pay for it.”
Corbyn said the pay cap had led to real shortages in nursing and teaching, as well as real hardship as wages failed to keep up with inflation.
“When Tories talk of tough choices, we know who suffers -- it’s the poorest and most vulnerable in our society,” he said.
May countered that she valued public-sector workers, adding: “The difference is, I know we have to pay for them.”