Keir Starmer’s putting trade unions back in the driving seat, claims former Tory MP

The former Chairman of the Conservative Party Sir Jake Berry has said the Labour Party is putting trade unions above the best interests of the British people by signalling their support for above inflation public-sector pay rises.

Sir Jake also said that the increase in public sector pay would lead to ‘out of control inflation’ and higher mortgages.

Speaking on GB News, Sir Jake Berry said: “Keir Starmer fought this election saying,’ I am going to put politics back in the service of the British people.’

“What he’s really done is put the British people back in service of the trade unions, which is what the Labour Party always do.

“At the same time as in The King’s Speech repealing every meaningful strike law, they have also made a statement saying, Well, of course, we’re going to give you an above inflation pay rise, because there’s a cost to a strike.

“Well, guess what? The unions will have heard that and go, ‘You can’t stop us striking now because you’ve rolled back nearly two decades of anti strike law. Whatever we asked for, you’re going to give it to us.’

“And in the public sector, the reason that they’ve had inflationary pay rises, they get a gold plated pension, they basically cannot be sacked, no matter how bad they are at their job.

“The deal always was you get paid slightly less, you get much better terms and conditions. The deal, apparently, now, is we want to be paid more than everyone and have the best terms and conditions as well.

“Because taxes are at record high in the UK, and I think how high taxes were under a Conservative party and it was absolutely appalling.

“But what I find very distressing now is senior nurses are having to pay what for most of my lifetime has been the top rate of tax; they are paying 40% of tax that now kicks in at £50,000 .

“We are paying far too much tax already in this country and you cannot have growth as your main aim as a Labour government and tax people.

“The public sector wages go up almost three times faster than inflation. How fast should private sector wages go up because you don’t get your gold plated pension.

“This will lead to out of control inflation which is the real tax for everyone with a mortgage in this country.”

WATCH ABOVE.