Tories retreat to avoid defeat as DUP sides with Labour motions
THE CONSERVATIVES last night suffered a climbdown over health service pay rises after the DUP backed Labour at Westminster.
The Government avoided embarrassing Commons defeats by allowing two opposition motions to pass – after the DUP said it would side with the opposition party.
The first motion called for the pay cap for NHS staff to be lifted immediately; the second was on blocking a rise in tuition fees. Both non-binding motions went through on the nod, with the Government abstaining.
The Conservatives had faced the prospect of losing both votes as the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up Theresa May’s minority government, had announced it would vote with Labour.
It would have meant the first defeat for the Government since it took over after the General Election – highlighting Mrs May’s vulnerability.
Earlier senior Democratic Unionist Ian Paisley said it sent out a “clarion call” on the issue of higher wages for doctors and nurses.
Mr Paisley was one of 10 proBrexit DUP MPs helping to prop up the Tory administration after her snap election left her with no overall majority.
Wednesday would have marked the first time DUP MPs voted to pressure ministers since their party agreed to a confidence and supply arrangement with the Conservatives after the general election.
Because the motion was not binding it would not have amounted to a breach of the £1bn Tory/DUP deal.
The Government only commands a majority because of its confidence and supply arrangement with the DUP, which has said it will support the Conservatives on key legislation.
Mr Paisley added: “To those members of the Labour Party who chide about the £1bn deal, your party would quite happily have cut a deal that would probably have been better for us.
“That’s the discussions we had in advance of the last election, and to chide us, you only hurt public servants in Northern Ireland who are benefiting from that £1bn deal that will allow us to allocate this money to relieve these costs.”
Meanwhile, Britain’s soldiers, sailors and airmen will learn in the new year whether they are to get an above one per cent pay rise following the lifting of the public sector pay cap, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has said.
Following the announcement on Tuesday that police and prison officers are to receive increases above the 1% limit, Sir Michael said he would have “greater flexibility” when it came to setting pay for the military in next year’s pay round.
Speaking at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London, he said that the Armed Forces Pay Review Body would be able to look at the need to recruit and retain personnel when it came to making its recommendations to ministers.
“The Chancellor has made it clear that the one per cent cap is being lifted and that we will have greater flexibility to respond to the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body,” Sir Michael said. “It is for that review body to make its recommendations for 2018-19 and it has in its remit the power to consider the very specific recruitment and retention issues that may apply in the armed forces.”