I agree entirely with those who believe that more money should be found for the Health Service and Education. Some of this could be spent on wage increases for those most in need, such as nurses, and some would go into providing a better service for everyone. I do support a lifting of the cap on public sector pay and have made my position clear to senior ministers. However, I did not agree and did not vote for the Labour amendment to the Queen’s Speech as this was drafted in a way that would have meant that even the highest earners in the public sector would have potentially benefitted from the change. I very much hope to see a suitable new policy on public sector pay in the near future.
As Conservatives we do not believe in spending money that we do not have. So, to pay for this I believe that, if necessary, we should increase taxes. According to the British Social Attitudes Survey, published this week, nearly half of Britons (48%) agreed that we should raise taxes to increase spending- that’s the highest proportion of support since 2004. I am certainly that if this policy was properly explained, and the money was clearly allocated to the right places, even more people would back it.