Tory peer to lead Low Pay Commission
KEMI BADENOCH has appointed a Tory peer as the new low pay tsar over fears that Labour planned to bring a union baron into the powerful role.
The Business Secretary has picked Baroness Stroud, a leading figure on the Right of the Conservative Party, to head up the body that helps set the minimum wage.
Her decision will thwart any attempts by Sir Keir Starmer to choose a Leftwing figure who would “clobber” companies to appease his backbenchers.
It will also ensure that a Conservative thinker who is pro making work pay is in place for at least the first two years of a possible Labour government.
From Monday, Baroness Stroud will serve a three-year term as chairman of the Low Pay Commission, which advises the Government on both the living and minimum wage. In particular the quango calculates how much both rates should go up every year, with ministers almost always following its recommendations.
Her appointment will quell fears that Labour could pick a trade unionist to manipulate the powerful quango and force through unsustainable salary increases. It is also a sign that the Tories are looking to ensure Right-wing thinkers are embedded within public bodies ahead of the next election.
Conservative MPS have complained that many institutions are still captured by Left-wing groupthink after Sir Tony Blair promoted new Labour members.
A Whitehall source said: “Despite their money and power, quangos are often operationally independent and immune from the same scrutiny as government departments. The only way a secretary of state can legitimately influence them to deliver properly is by appointing a competent chairman.
“A Conservative government appointing Baroness Stroud, who has a track record of reforms to make sure work pays and recognises the role of business in boosting living standards, is very smart.”
Baroness Stroud was instrumental in the roll-out of Universal Credit – which has been repeatedly attacked by Labour – to encourage people off benefits and into work. She is also a founder of the Centre for Social Justice and chief executive of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.