Public Sector Pay Cap Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Public Sector Pay Cap

James Cartlidge Excerpts
Wednesday 5th July 2017

(6 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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With respect, the hon. Lady talks the NHS down in her question. The fact is that the NHS is doing a tremendous job. We are reducing the bureaucracy so that nurses can spend more of their time with patients. My right hon. Friend the Health Secretary is driving an agenda of reform that is delivering better public services.

James Cartlidge Portrait James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)
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It is worth remembering what would have happened had the Labour party won the first general election after the great recession: its 2010 manifesto committed to tough action on pay, including a 1% cap on public sector pay. Does my right hon. Friend think that that was because Labour does not value public sector workers, or because it understood the reality of the country’s position as a result of its mismanagement of public borrowing and bank regulation?

Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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There is rather an issue of false consciousness on the Opposition Front Bench.