ATBU? Tories and DUP in favour of freezing public sector pay

[AtHomeDadGlos]

So, the Tories along with their cash rich friends the DUP have just voted down Labour's amendment (supported by every other MP) to end the public sector pay freeze.

So they can find £1bn to keep themselves in power but can't find anything to pay our firefighters, nurses, police force or teachers more?

TABU aren't they?

They knew full well that the Tory party would line up behind the Government

Again, they had another choice. I know it is a difficult concept for some, but people can just do the right thing.

makeourfuture
Maybe they considered that the "right thing" was to not have another General Election so shortly after the previous one leaving us without a working Government over the summer. That is wasn't in the interests of the 60m people who aren't public sector workers to have that level of uncertainty.

I know it is a difficult concept for some but sometimes people have a different ideas of what the right thing is.

another General Election so shortly after the previous one

We can all agree the election was a foolish decision.

At the end of the day, the tories haven't voted to keep the public sector pay gap, they have voted to keep their own jobs by avoiding another election because they know they'll likely loose. They are there for the few (themselves) and not the many (the people who work tirelessly for our society).

And then to cheer themselves for it is just deplorable. But apparently the British public wants people like that to run this county

Sorry if I'm being stupid on this, but if the Tories were supposedly in favour of scrapping the cap as some seem to be saying, why wasn't it in the Queen's speech?

"JC put this forward as it was a win win for him - he wins and makes government unstable, he loses and makes the Tories look like they favour this when they don't."

Of course the Tories favour it: it's their Queen's Speech!

Trying to put the blame on Labour for something that they have proposed and subsequently refuse to amend is ridiculous, but entirely typical.

Tanith I don't understand, the PM's office has confirmed that the cap is to remain in place until 2019/20 so how are they favouring getting rid of it?

Exactly nolead. As I suggested upthread, if they'd included it and Labour had voted against the Queen's Speech, the Conservatives could have beaten Labour with that stick all Parliament.

Sorry noodle not nolead

Thank you Cloud. So this thing about Labour being to blame for having now delayed something that the Tories would have put into place anyway is bollocks isn't it? They never had any intention of getting rid of it!

You might have had some Conservatives who'd have supported it I suppose but I wouldn't have been holding my breath, no.

@AtHomeDad: Could you post an update if they've replied to your email.

@Winchester/AtHomeDad: Dont' forget to save/screen capture the tweet for the next election. Let's his words come back to haunt him.

Will do when I get one. I imagine it will take a while for one of his unpaid interns to get back to me!

And I have screen shotted the tweet and emailed Labour to suggest they do so before it's deleted.

Hang on. Have the Tories caved in NI abortions rather than have a vote on Stella Creasy's amendment?
Obviously it's great that they have but it does show that had they felt strongly about public pay, they could have forced a review or other concession about that.

I don't understand, the PM's office has confirmed that the cap is to remain in place until 2019/20 so how are they favouring getting rid of it?

@noodleaddict , could you link to anything saying that? it'd be super-helpful in the "lively discussion" I'm having with a Tory friend on my FB! She insists pay cap will be reviewed in Autumn Statement.

Pingu here: www.itv.com/news/2017-06-28/public-sector-pay-cap-to-remain-for-at-least-another-two-years/

And here www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/society/2017/jun/28/public-sector-pay-cap-could-be-lifted-downing-street-hints

After hinting that it would be reviewed earlier in the day yesterday, they then came out and said pretty definitively that it wouldn't.

U-turn on a u-turn.

AtHomeDadGlos I'm guessing it will be about 3 months for the reply!

Last time I wrote to my MP regarding the removal of GCSE IT I got a reply about 4 months later with the usual blurb on how it's computing skills that are needed etc (Even though I had pointed out that there was a need for both subjects); the irony was the letter was filled with mistakes - both grammatical, spelling and with basic formatting errors

I'm a firefighter and I'm absolutely disgusted with the response! all that praise on the news, visits to our stations for photo opportunities then this. I know our union is looking at the possibility of balloting for another strike which is something which plays heavy on my heart.
I joined the public sector to save lives and make a difference. Our numbers are being slashed and the ability to do our job is being hindered by this pathetic excuse for a government. The least they could do of pay all public sector workers what they deserve.

The Tories approach to the public pay sector cap and austerity in general seems chaotic and to differ according to which one is asked about it. Cheering a narrow victory in the Queen's speech in my eyes seems to perpetuate the feeling that it's still all about point scoring over trying to understand the mood of the nation.

My friend emailed her MP this morning and got the attached in reply (I think I've edited anything potentially identifying out of it). It seems the pay will be reviewed in the autumn statement.

To be fair to my MP he does tend to reply promptly to emails (within a fortnight and often much sooner).

Interesting that the reply above stated it would be reviewed in the Autumn Statement. I suppose we'll have to wait and see.

The line about being in Govt is a bit glib; the opposition's duty is to keep the Govt honest.

The whole reply deflected away from a number of things which she asked about, to be honest. It's a slick (one could suggest rehearsed, almost) response.

But, it is interesting in what it does say.

Maybe they considered that the "right thing" was to not have another General Election

Too fucking right they did!!!

Please don't try to pass it off that they were doing it for the good of the country.

When will working class people realise THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE.

According to the links I posted earlier the Chancellor did imply that it would be reviewed in the Autumn Statement, but after that TM's spokesperson came out and said there would be 'no change' to the policy, i.e. It will remain until 2019. Will have to wait and see. I don't hold much hope tbh. I don't understand how these 'independent pay review bodies' have allowed the cap to go on for so long whilst MPs (also public servants) have somehow had a pay rise. It's disgusting.

@ AtHomeDadGlos, yes, I'm noted for my niceness. Why do you ask?