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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/13/may-urged-to-guarantee-prison-and-police-staff-numbers-after-pay-rise
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| May urged to guarantee prison and police staff numbers after pay rise | May urged to guarantee prison and police staff numbers after pay rise |
| (21 days later) | |
| Theresa May ducked a question from Jeremy Corbyn on whether police or prison officers numbers could be cut in order to fund the pay rises announced for both groups of public sector workers this week. | Theresa May ducked a question from Jeremy Corbyn on whether police or prison officers numbers could be cut in order to fund the pay rises announced for both groups of public sector workers this week. |
| At prime minister’s questions, Corbyn asked: “Can the prime minister guarantee no more police or prison officers will be lost as a result of decisions she has made this week?” | At prime minister’s questions, Corbyn asked: “Can the prime minister guarantee no more police or prison officers will be lost as a result of decisions she has made this week?” |
| May did not answer the question, and instead argued that factors such as incremental progression pay and tax cuts had actually left many public sector staff better off than before. | May did not answer the question, and instead argued that factors such as incremental progression pay and tax cuts had actually left many public sector staff better off than before. |
| During a prime minister’s questions dominated by low pay and the government’s announcement it was ending the 1% annual limit on public sector pay rises, Corbyn accused May of presiding over a massive reduction in real-terms wages. | During a prime minister’s questions dominated by low pay and the government’s announcement it was ending the 1% annual limit on public sector pay rises, Corbyn accused May of presiding over a massive reduction in real-terms wages. |
| On Tuesday, ministers approved pay rises for this year of 2% for police and 1.7% for prison officers in 2017-18 and May’s spokesman said pay rises for other public sector workers in 2018-19 could be greater than 1%, ending the cap that had been in place for seven years. | On Tuesday, ministers approved pay rises for this year of 2% for police and 1.7% for prison officers in 2017-18 and May’s spokesman said pay rises for other public sector workers in 2018-19 could be greater than 1%, ending the cap that had been in place for seven years. |
| The Labour leader mocked May for the long government build-up to the news it was ending. | The Labour leader mocked May for the long government build-up to the news it was ending. |
| “At the weekend we were told that the public sector pay cap had been dropped,” he said. “On Monday the prime minister’s spokesman said it would continue as planned. Yesterday they said the pay cap was over, but we later found out that police and prison officers still face a real-terms pay cut. So could the prime minister tell us what the position is at midday today?” | “At the weekend we were told that the public sector pay cap had been dropped,” he said. “On Monday the prime minister’s spokesman said it would continue as planned. Yesterday they said the pay cap was over, but we later found out that police and prison officers still face a real-terms pay cut. So could the prime minister tell us what the position is at midday today?” |
| May replied that the government was seeking to “balance out protecting jobs in the public sector, being fair to public sector workers, and being fair to taxpayers who pay for it, many of whom are public sector workers”. | May replied that the government was seeking to “balance out protecting jobs in the public sector, being fair to public sector workers, and being fair to taxpayers who pay for it, many of whom are public sector workers”. |
| Closely echoing the words of her spokesman on Tuesday on the issue, May said: “There is a need for greater flexibility as we look at these issues of public sector pay in the future. We will be working on this in the lead-up to the budget, and the remits for the pay review bodies for 2018-19 will be published in due course.” | Closely echoing the words of her spokesman on Tuesday on the issue, May said: “There is a need for greater flexibility as we look at these issues of public sector pay in the future. We will be working on this in the lead-up to the budget, and the remits for the pay review bodies for 2018-19 will be published in due course.” |
| In an otherwise relatively predictable PMQs – beyond the unlikely news from May that veteran Tory backbencher Michael Fabricant is to appear on Channel 4’s Celebrity First Dates – the exchanges focused largely on living standards, including for people with disabilities. | In an otherwise relatively predictable PMQs – beyond the unlikely news from May that veteran Tory backbencher Michael Fabricant is to appear on Channel 4’s Celebrity First Dates – the exchanges focused largely on living standards, including for people with disabilities. |
| On public sector pay, Corbyn asked May: “Does the prime minister understand that inflation is now 2.9%? Anything less means that dedicated public servants are worse off again, and they’ve been made worse off every year for the past seven years.” | On public sector pay, Corbyn asked May: “Does the prime minister understand that inflation is now 2.9%? Anything less means that dedicated public servants are worse off again, and they’ve been made worse off every year for the past seven years.” |
| She responded by trumpeting the renewed fall in unemployment, announced on Wednesday, and mocking the Labour leader over what she said were broken promises. | She responded by trumpeting the renewed fall in unemployment, announced on Wednesday, and mocking the Labour leader over what she said were broken promises. |
| May said, to cheers from her backbenchers: “He promised students that he would deal with their debts, and he’s let them down. He promised the British people that he would support Trident, and he’s let them down. And he’s promised voters he’d deliver on Brexit and he’s let them down.” | May said, to cheers from her backbenchers: “He promised students that he would deal with their debts, and he’s let them down. He promised the British people that he would support Trident, and he’s let them down. And he’s promised voters he’d deliver on Brexit and he’s let them down.” |