May, ditch the tin ear

NURSES and teachers deserve a decent pay rise after seven years of Tory austerity that has slashed the value of pay packets and created a staffing crisis.

The same is true for firefighters, members of the Armed Forces, council workers, coastguards, Jobcentre staff and everybody else delivering our backbone services. Not least the police and prison officers.

But we warn Theresa May not to play politics, seeking to divide and rule by granting rises to some public workers while denying others.

If the Prime Minister does that, she will risk a widespread backlash – with the public on the side of workers fighting austerity.

May’s tin ear saw her lose the Tory majority at the general election. And unless she listens now to the popular calls for reasonable pay increases, she will suffer another defeat.

Driving down the living standards of grafters is a political choice, not a financial necessity.

Nurses, teachers and all essential workers deserve a pay rise, Mrs May.

Give it to them or face the consequences.