Archive for January, 2014

Conservative Chancellor Wants Above-Inflation Minimum Wage Rise

Friday, January 17th, 2014

Chancellor George Osborne has said he wants to see an above-inflation increase in the minimum wage.

He has said the “economy can now afford” to raise the rate, currently set at £6.31 an hour for people over the age of 21. The call comes after Labour claims that the economic upturn has not translated into improved living standards.

But Mr Osborne said it was Labour’s fault that they had fallen and he was aiming to make people better off. The value of the minimum wage, paid to an estimated 1.35 million people, has fallen in real terms since the financial crisis of 2008. The current rate of inflation is 2%.

Conservative Mr Osborne said it would have to increase to £7 an hour by 2015 for its value to return to where it was before the economic downturn struck. The rate is recommended by the Low Pay Commission, which is overseen by Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable.

He said the coalition, since coming to power in 2010, had “rescued the country from the brink of disaster and got us into a position where we can now see the minimum wage going up for people and, more broadly. I want living standards to go up for the whole country as we fix the economy.”

Mr Osborne said, “Britain is poorer because of what happened to it in the great recession. People in the country are poorer because of what happened in the great recession.

“I want to make sure we are all in it together, as part of the recovery, which is why I want to see above-inflation increases in the minimum wage, precisely because the British economy can now afford that. This government, and I as chancellor, are on the side of hardworking people. I want a welfare system that supports work, that’s fair to those who use it and those who pay for it.”

He added that the government was planning another “big increase” in the amount of money people can earn before paying income tax and defended his plans to remove a further £12bn from the welfare budget.

The minimum wage rate for workers aged 18 to 20 is £5.03 an hour, while it is £3.72 for under-18s.

Christopher Pincher Calls for Debate on Mid Staffordshire Hospital

Friday, January 17th, 2014

Yesterday in the House of Commons Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, called on the Leader of the House to hold a debate on Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and the Francis report.

Mr Pincher said, “The scandal at Mid Staffordshire still casts a long shadow over the patients, families and health care professionals in my county. I pay particular tribute to my hon. Friend Jeremy Lefroy; he is in his place, who has been a sterling champion of local concerns.

“The Prime Minister has made it clear that he favours having a debate on the matter. Will the Leader of the House find time for such a debate as soon as possible?”

The Leader of the House of Commons, Andrew Lansley MP, replied, “I am grateful to my hon. Friend and join him in thanking our hon. Friend Jeremy Lefroy and colleagues across Staffordshire for their assiduous work in following up on the concerns of their constituents.

“He is quite right that the Prime Minister has made it clear that we are looking to have a debate on the Francis report in due course. As I made clear to the House before, I did not feel that it was appropriate to have such a debate before there had been a full Government response. We had that response at the end of last year, and some of it is being reflected in measures coming forward in the Care Bill.

“However, I hope that it will still be possible to have a more general debate shortly on the Francis report and the Government’s response, because it raises issues much wider than those specifically covered in the Care Bill.”

Future Conservative Government Will ‘Protect’ State Pension

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

David Cameron has said the state pension would continue to rise by at least 2.5% a year until 2020 if the Conservatives win the next election.

The Prime Minister has pledged to keep the “triple lock” system, which ensures the state pension goes up by whichever is higher – inflation, wages or 2.5%. He said it was “fair” to prioritise pensions even at a time when benefits for younger people were being slashed.

Mr Cameron has described the “triple lock” announcement as the “first plank” of the Conservative general election manifesto. But in an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he rejected suggestions it was a purely political move aimed at attracting older voters back to the Conservative fold.

The Prime Minister told Andrew Marr, “It’s a choice based on values, based on my values. I want people when they reach retirement to know that they can have dignity and security in their old age.

“People who have worked hard, who have done the right thing, who have provided for their families, they should then know they will get a decent state pension and they don’t have to worry about it lagging behind prices or earnings and I think that’s the right choice for the country.”

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Archive for January, 2014

Conservative Chancellor Wants Above-Inflation Minimum Wage Rise

Christopher Pincher Calls for Debate on Mid Staffordshire Hospital

Future Conservative Government Will ‘Protect’ State Pension

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