13 July 2023 , 21:09
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Rishi Sunak has finally realised that public sector workers deserve a pay rise.
NHS workers, teachers, police officers and members of the armed forces will now get an increase in their wages that recognises their service to this country.
While the money will be welcomed, the pay hikes are still below inflation and fail to compensate for the years of real-term cuts imposed by the Tories since 2010.
It should not have taken a wave of industrial action to force the Government to act.
The funding will come from departmental cuts that will inevitably impact on frontline services. So far, ministers have refused to spell out where the axes will fall.
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Cutting the health and education budgets to fund long overdue pay rises is self-defeating.
Teachers, doctors and nurses deserved to be paid more but they also deserve to work in schools which are not crumbling, hospitals which are not overcrowded, and wards with enough beds and scanners.
Use knife laws
Teenager Ronan Kanda was murdered by two attackers armed with a ninja sword they purchased online.
His grieving parents are now calling on the Government to do more to tackle knife crime.
This should start by enforcing the laws preventing the sale of dangerous weapons on the internet.
There are measures in place banning anyone under the age of 18 from buying zombie knives, blades and machetes online.
Firms that flout these laws can face jail, an unlimited fine and a ban on trading. The problem is the lack of enforcement.
If we want to prevent the loss of more innocent lives we need the authorities to start upholding the law.
Northern Routes
Rail bosses have re-recorded dozens of station announcements because they had been mispronouncing northern towns.
The locals must have been steaming.
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