https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jun/28/public-sector-pay-cap-could-be-lifted-downing-street-hints
The vote on last nights amendment to the Queen's Speech calling for the end to the Public sector pay cap, was defeated by by 323 votes to 309, a government majority of 14. A collection of disgruntled conservative MP's, who during the course of the last few days had publicly stated that the pay freeze on public sector pay, which had been in place for seven years, had reached the end of its shelf life and should be dropped, suddenly at around 7:00pm, lost their objections to the policy and joined forces with the 10 Democratic Unionist Party Mountebank's and shuffled through the "No" lobby to defeat the amendment and consequently, keep Theresa May clinging to her office for a few more days.
The result may have come as a surprise to some, as during the course of the day contradictory and confusing messages had come out of various government departments and even more bizarrely from different cabinet ministers. Chris Grayling and Michael Fallon spoke earlier in the day about, "a possible re-examination of the public sector pay cap", with Oliver Letwin adding, "there is a case for easing up on austerity".
Chancellor Philip Hammond however played down the speculation saying that, "There are recommendations from independent public sector pay review bodies and decisions will not be taken until the Autumn Statement". This followed a briefing from the Prime Minister's officials that she was "willing to consider changes".
Within hours of another less than private squabble between government ministers, and shortly before the vote on the amendment, Theresa May returned to the fracas with another of her now infamous U Turns, anouncing that nothing has changed and that there will be no modification of policy. An intervention which again left government ministers, Conservative Members and many others with open mouths, shaking their heads in stunned disbelief.
The media generally seem to take the view that this government is riven with dissent and factionalism on this and many other issues party direction, leadership and not least of all Brexit. Only the Mail and Express consider that defeating the amendment to remove the Public Sector pay cap ws somehow a great victory for Theresa May with the Express gloating that Jeremy Corbyn had actually been humiliated. How anyone, including the proprietors and editors of national newspapers, can consider that the pyrrhic victory which the government achieved in last nights vote, and only secured with the unscrupulous support of the 10 Democratic Unionist Party, bribed with £1.5 billion specifically for the purpose of keeping Theresa May in number 10, is anything other than a contemptible insult is beyond belief.
Public Sector workers, our emergency serivices, police, fire, ambulance and nurses and others, have had their salaries capped at 1% for the last seven years. Nurses have had their salaries cut by 14% in real terms and many are now reliant on Foodbanks and Payday loan companies to survive each month.Those MP's who last night voted against the Opposition amendment to end the pay freeze and those newspaper editors and proprietors who today jubilate that the government "defeated" the amendment, should this morning hang their heads in shame at their own hypocrisy and their callous disregard for justice and fairness.
Over recent months particularly, in Manchester or London whether through acts of terrorism or through man made tradgedies such as Grenfell Tower, our emergency services have been magnificent regardless of cuts to their budgets or reductions in staff or restrictions on their resources. Yet we, though the actions of 323 MP's, deny these workers a decent living wage and conservative MP's cheer as the result of the vote is announced.
Meanwhile the government lurches on from crisis to crisis, resolute to be irresolute, steadfast to be weak and determined to create confusion and alarm with each new policy, clarification from Minister or government department, or U Turn from 10 Downing Street spokesperson or from Prime Minister.
This Prime Minister and her government are an embarrassment to the country and its people, and a laughing stock within the European Union. Those duplicitous conservative MP's, boosted by the support of the ten hypocritical Democratic Unionist Party members, will attempt to keep Theresa May in office for as long as possibile. Not for any reason of "stable leadership" for the country, or even for the benefit of the Conservative party, but for them, the prospect of another general election and the resultant change of government is a prospect far too dreadful to contemplate.
Thus, to satisfy the selfish motives of conservative MP's, the people of this country must endure the continuation of discredited policies from a discredited government and a discredited Prime Minister. The Public Sector workers and the people of this country will not forget the cynical way in which this government clings to power or the contempt which politicians show towards the electorate.
Confusion, discord and ineptitude.
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The result may have come as a surprise to some, as during the course of the day contradictory and confusing messages had come out of various government departments and even more bizarrely from different cabinet ministers. Chris Grayling and Michael Fallon spoke earlier in the day about, "a possible re-examination of the public sector pay cap", with Oliver Letwin adding, "there is a case for easing up on austerity".
 |
Within hours of another less than private squabble between government ministers, and shortly before the vote on the amendment, Theresa May returned to the fracas with another of her now infamous U Turns, anouncing that nothing has changed and that there will be no modification of policy. An intervention which again left government ministers, Conservative Members and many others with open mouths, shaking their heads in stunned disbelief.
The media generally seem to take the view that this government is riven with dissent and factionalism on this and many other issues party direction, leadership and not least of all Brexit. Only the Mail and Express consider that defeating the amendment to remove the Public Sector pay cap ws somehow a great victory for Theresa May with the Express gloating that Jeremy Corbyn had actually been humiliated. How anyone, including the proprietors and editors of national newspapers, can consider that the pyrrhic victory which the government achieved in last nights vote, and only secured with the unscrupulous support of the 10 Democratic Unionist Party, bribed with £1.5 billion specifically for the purpose of keeping Theresa May in number 10, is anything other than a contemptible insult is beyond belief.
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Over recent months particularly, in Manchester or London whether through acts of terrorism or through man made tradgedies such as Grenfell Tower, our emergency services have been magnificent regardless of cuts to their budgets or reductions in staff or restrictions on their resources. Yet we, though the actions of 323 MP's, deny these workers a decent living wage and conservative MP's cheer as the result of the vote is announced.
Meanwhile the government lurches on from crisis to crisis, resolute to be irresolute, steadfast to be weak and determined to create confusion and alarm with each new policy, clarification from Minister or government department, or U Turn from 10 Downing Street spokesperson or from Prime Minister.
This Prime Minister and her government are an embarrassment to the country and its people, and a laughing stock within the European Union. Those duplicitous conservative MP's, boosted by the support of the ten hypocritical Democratic Unionist Party members, will attempt to keep Theresa May in office for as long as possibile. Not for any reason of "stable leadership" for the country, or even for the benefit of the Conservative party, but for them, the prospect of another general election and the resultant change of government is a prospect far too dreadful to contemplate.
Thus, to satisfy the selfish motives of conservative MP's, the people of this country must endure the continuation of discredited policies from a discredited government and a discredited Prime Minister. The Public Sector workers and the people of this country will not forget the cynical way in which this government clings to power or the contempt which politicians show towards the electorate.
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