Backtrack over claims on public sector pay review
Questions raised over response to fire disaster
THE GOVERNMENT’S austerity agenda was last night thrown into disarray after Downing Street was forced to backtrack on claims that ministers are poised to review the cap on public sector pay.
Senior Conservative figures yesterday gave their strongest signal yet that they were preparing to scrap the unpopular policy, with the Prime Minister’s official spokesman suggesting it would be reviewed at the Budget.
An end to the one percent cap has wide support across parties, with a number of Tory MPs joining calls for nurses, teachers and police officers to be given a pay rise.
But within hours of asserting ministers have “heard the message” sent by the election, Downing Street appeared to backtrack on previous claims as it stressed Government policy “has not changed”.
The U-turn came ahead of a key vote on the Queen’s Speech, as Labour tabled an amendment calling for an end to austerity.
Opening the debate in the Commons, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott warned there was a “human price to pay” for long-running cuts to public services.
Labour has challenged Tory MPs – many of whom blame voter frustration at the austerity agenda for the party’s poor election result – to join them in supporting the motion. Speaking in the Commons, the Totnes MP and former Health Select Committee chairman Dr Sarah Wollaston seemed to back their calls for an end to the pay cap as she warned it was having a “significant impact” on NHS staff morale.
THERESA MAY used her first PMQs in the wake of a disastrous election campaign to attack Labour’s position on defence and Brexit, as she sought to reassert her leadership in the face of renewed criticism of her deal with the DUP.
Addressing the Commons ahead of a crucial vote on the Queen’s Speech, the Conservative leader was questioned about her Government’s response to the Grenfell tower fire and the impact of long-running cuts to local authorities and emergency services.
She was also forced to defend her decision to offer the DUP £1bn to support a confidence and supply agreement, after one SNP critic pointing out that the 10 Northern Irish MPs are now “worth more” than the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
But the Prime Minister turned the pressure back on Labour, as she accused Jeremy Corbyn of misleading voters over his views on Trident.
The exchange began with an update on the investigation and relief effort surrounding the Grenfell disaster, with Mrs May revealing that cladding from 120 tower blocks in England has failed fire tests.
Responding to questions from Mr Corbyn, she also confirmed that the materials used in Grenfell tower did not comply with building regulations.
She went on to offer Government support to all local authorities concerned about buildings in their areas, urging them to “take any measures that are necessary” to ensure fire safety.
But she hit back at Labour’s suggestion that austerity was to blame for the Grenfell tragedy, arguing that the practice of cladding tower blocks began under the Blair government. The combative tone continued with a succession questions from Labour and SNP MPs about the additional £1bn of funding offered to Northern Ireland as part of the Conservative deal with the DUP.
The SNP’s newly elected Westminster leader Ian Blackford led the attack, as he pressed Mrs May to clarify whether or not she had consulted with her Scottish Secretary David Mundell before signing off on the agreement.
Mr Mundell had previously stated that he would not agree to anything “that could be construed as back-door funding to Northern Ireland”. Mr Blackford said Mrs May’s “failure to give a straight answer” to his question yesterday spoke “volumes”.
His comments followed an earlier criticism by the Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss , who claimed Parliament was “now in the slightly odd position where each DUP MP is worth more than Ronaldo”. She went on to argue that it was “impossible” for the UK Government to be even-handed in Northern Ireland.
A number of other MPs piled pressure on Mrs May to ease back on cuts to public services. But Tory MPs were quick to come to their leaders aid, providing opportunities to launch an attack on Labour.
This included the Aldershot MP Leo Docherty, who asked Mrs May about reports that Mr Corbyn privately told the Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis that he would scrap Trident “as soon as [he] can” if he becomes Prime Minister. The Prime Minister replied that many people would be “shocked” by the revelations, before accusing the Labour leader of “say[ing] one thing to the many and another thing to the few”.
Mansfield MP Ben Bradleywent on to suggest Mr Corbyn was attempting to be “all things to all men” and as a result was “no kind of leader at all”.
Mrs May stated that he was “he is absolutely right”, before arguing that Labour still lacks a clear plan on Brexit.
The comments came ahead of a debate on the Queen’s Speech, during which MPs were expected to vote on an amendment calling for an end to austerity.
... slightly odd position where each DUP MP is worth more than Ronaldo Criticism of the DUP deal by Glasgow Central MP Alison Thewliss