Chancellor George Osborne has warned against a rise in the minimum wage by 50p, claiming it could “cost jobs”.
Business Secretary Vince Cable and Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith have proposed an increase in the minimum wage at greater than inflation, but Osborne has said that whilst he supports and increase, it should be left to the Low Pay Commission to set the level.
Speaking during a visit to Enfield, Osborne said:
“I think everyone wants to see an increase in the minimum wage. I would like to see an increase in the minimum wage.
But it has to be done in a way that doesn’t cost jobs, because that would be self-defeating.
We have a Low Pay Commission as a body that exists to make exactly that judgement.”
He also downplayed the idea that the government may overrule the Low Pay Commission if they fail to recommend a sufficiently high increase to the minimum wage.
1 Comment
More like his 11% pay rise is going to cost him his job, as well as many other things.