Theresa May set to scrap 1% cap on public sector pay rises
PM could ease pay cap in effort to revive her standing after the poor general election result
Theresa May has given the "biggest signal yet" that she will end the 1% cap on public sector pay rises. A spokeswoman for No.10 says the Prime Minister recognises the sacrifice made by public sector workers during years of wage restraint.
"No10 aides are drawing up a series of major policies away from Brexit to try to win back the prime minister's authority to stay on in No10," says The Sun. The "jewel" in the package will be ending the cap, adds the paper.
The newspaper reports that the move, which could cost the exchequer as much as £4 billion a year, will be brought in over the course of two years. Priority will be given to areas of the public sector with staff shortages.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"That means nurses and senior civil servants would be among the first to benefit from rises," says the Daily Mirror. These could take effect as early as April of next year.
The Prime Minister's spokeswoman said she would not pre-empt the ongoing process that's used to set the salaries of nurses, doctors, teachers, armed personnel and others.
But crucially, she "did not deny reports that May was ready to take action to ease the burden felt by workers who have endured a seven-year cap as part of the government's austerity programme," says The Guardian.
"We know a number of people in the public and private sectors feel like they are just about managing, and we recognise the sacrifice they are making. But there is a process in place and I can't pre-empt the process," the spokeswoman said.
Janet Davies, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, has welcomed the news. She says it shows the government is finally listening to nurses.
"But any offer from the PM or Treasury needs to not only scrap the pay cap for future years but go some way towards making up for lost earnings," she said.
A number of Conservative MPs have said the inability to attract public sector workers hampered their efforts during this year's general election in which the party lost its majority. They say the public sector pay cap provoked heated debate within the cabinet over the summer, according to The Times.
Ministers, including Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove, all indicated that they thought the cap should be reconsidered. The Chancellor, Philip Hammond, "reacted furiously after reports that he had told a cabinet meeting that public sector workers were overpaid in relation to private sector workers because they had more generous pensions," adds the paper.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Long summer days in Iceland's highlands
The Week Recommends While many parts of this volcanic island are barren, there is a 'desolate beauty' to be found in every corner
By The Week UK Published
-
The Democrats: time for wholesale reform?
Talking Point In the 'wreckage' of the election, the party must decide how to rebuild
By The Week UK Published
-
5 deliciously funny cartoons about turkeys
Cartoons Artists take on pardons, executions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Who will replace Rishi Sunak as the next Tory leader?
In Depth Shortlist will be whittled down to two later today
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published