The National Minimum Wage was legislated for by the Labour government ~10 years ago. At the time the Conservative party argued against the national minimum wage on the grounds it would cost the country jobs, businesses would stop investing in Britain because labor costs would be so high.
To date we’ve not seen great job losses (we saw some job loses) due to the national minimum wage and foreign investors and business are still investing in Britain.
I consider the national minimum wage a Labour party success story and I am concerned how the national minimum wage would fair under a Conservative government. Would the conservatives continue to increase the national minimum wage in line with inflation or break the link and overtime make the national minimum wage an irrelevance.
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll
Loading ...The following Conservative MPs voted against the National Minimum Wage – depriving hard working families fair pay. Source:http://www.labour.org.uk/minimumwage
Peter Ainsworth MP David Cameron’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
David Amess MP
Michael Ancram MP
James Arbuthnot MP
Peter Atkinson MP
Tony Baldry MP
John Bercow MP
Paul Beresford MP
Crispin Blunt MP David Cameron’s Opposition Whip
Tim Boswell MP
Peter Bottomley MP
Graham Brady MP
Julian Brazier MP David Cameron’s Shadow Transport Minister
Angela Browning MP
Simon Burns MP David Cameron’s Opposition Whip
Angela Browning MP
Sir John Butterfill MP
William Cash MP
Christopher Chope MP
James Clappison MP David Cameron’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister
Ken Clarke MP Chairman of David Cameron’s Democracy Taskforce
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP David Cameron’s Shadow International Development Minister
Sir Patrick Cormack MP
David Curry MP
David Davis MP
Stephen Dorrell MP
Alan Duncan MP David Cameron’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Iain Duncan Smith MP Chairman of David Cameron’s Social Justice Policy Group
Nigel Evans MP
Michael Fabricant MP David Cameron’s Opposition Whip
Michael Fallon MP
Liam Fox MP David Cameron’s Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Christopher Fraser
Roger Gale MP
Edward Garnier MP David Cameron’s Shadow Justice Minister
Nick Gibb MP David Cameron’s Shadow Schools Minister
Cheryl Gillan MP David Cameron’s Shadow Secretary of State for Wales
James Gray MP
Damian Green MP David Cameron’s Shadow Immigration Minister
John Greenway MP
Dominic Grieve MP David Cameron’s Shadow Home Secretary
John Gummer MP Chair of David Cameron’s Quality of Life Policy Group
William Hague MP David Cameron’s Shadow Foreign Secretary
Philip Hammond MP David Cameron’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
John Hayes MP David Cameron’s Shadow Minister for Vocational Education
Oliver Heald MP
David Heathcoat-Amory MP
Douglas Hogg MP
John Horam MP
Gerald Howarth MP David Cameron’s Shadow Defence Minister
Michael Jack MP
Bernard Jenkin MP
Robert Key MP
Julie Kirkbride MP
Elanor Laing MP David Cameron’s Shadow Justice Minister
Jacqui Lait MP David Cameron’s Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government
Andrew Lansley MP David Cameron’s Shadow Health Secretary
Edward Leigh MP
Oliver Letwin MP Chairman of David Cameron’s Policy Review and of the Conservative Research Department
Julian Lewis MP David Cameron’s Shadow Defence Minister
David Lidington MP Chairman, International Office and Conservatives Abroad
Peter Lilley MP
Tim Loughton MP David Cameron’s Shadow Minister for Children
Peter Luff MP
Andrew Mackay MP David Cameron’s Senior Parliamentary and Political Adviser
David Maclean MP
Patrick McLoughlin MP David Cameron’s Opposition Chief Whip
Humfrey Malins MP
John Maples MP Conservative Party Deputy Chairman (Candidates)
Francis Maude MP David Cameron’s Shadow Cabinet Office Minister
Theresa May MP David Cameron’s Shadow Leader of the House
Malcolm Moss MP
Richard Ottaway MP
James Paice MP David Cameron’s Shadow Minister for Agriculture
Owen Paterson MP David Cameron’s Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Eric Pickles MP
John Randall MP David Cameron’s Assistant Chief Whip
John Redwood MP Chairman of David Cameron’s Economic Competitiveness Policy Group
Andrew Robathan MP David Cameron’s Deputy Chief Whip
Laurence Robertson MP David Cameron’s Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland
David Ruffley MP David Cameron’s Shadow Home Affairs Minister
Richard Shepherd MP
Keith Simpson MP David Cameron’s Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister
Nicholas Soames MP
Caroline Spelman MP
Conservative Party Chairman
Sir Michael Spicer MP
Richard Spring MP Conservative Party Vice Chairman (Business)
Sir John Stanley MP
Anthony Steen MP
Gary Streeter MP
Desmond Swayne MP David Cameron’s Parliamentary Private Secretary
Robert Syms MP
Peter Tapsell MP
Ian Taylor MP
David Tredinnick MP
Andrew Tyrie MP
Peter Viggers MP
Robert Walter MP
Nigel Waterson MP David Cameron’s Shadow Work and Pensions Minister
John Whittingdale MP
Ann Widdecombe MP
David Willetts MP David Cameron’s Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
David Wilshire MP
Ann Winterton MP
Nicholas Winterton MP
Tim Yeo MP
Sir George Young MP
I’ve looked into the numbers in the Labour campaign tool and it might not be accurate. I found an inflation rate calculator (http://safalra.com/other/historical-uk-inflation-price-conversion/) and if you plug in the starting value of £1.20 and cover the years 1999 to 2009 (10 years) it comes out with a figure of £1.60.
So Labour’s estimate of if the Conservatives were still in power and had never passed the National Minimum Wage the people (like me when I was younger) who were on really low wages would still be on pathetically low wages might be under estimated (not as low as £1.38). Still, £1.60 per hour under the Conservatives today compared with £5.80 per hour under Labour is a BIG difference!
15 responses to Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
No. Its really not, is it?
Rate Political Comment
+13
If they cut the public sector too much (especially the NHS), or try to lower/abolish the minimum wage it’d be political suicide. I hope that’s a good enough safety net.
I trust the Tories less than Labour (and that’s saying something!). Haven’t they already backtracked on so many of their proposed policies already?
Rate Political Comment
+6
The NHS is so far the only public service the Tories have guaranteed to protect and not cut any spending.
In terms of safguarding the minimum wage I believe they will not try and remove it as well lets face it it is one of the best things the Labour Government achieved in their 12 years in Government.
And to remove it or even lower it would be political suicide for any Government, the biggest block of voters are in the minimum wage bracket and I personally think it would be the end of the Tories for much longer than the last 12 years if they even attempted to remove it.
I have decided that if the Tories get elected this year (and it looks like they will) I will actually join the party and campaign from within to make sure they don’t even attempt to remove the minimum wage.
Rate Political Comment
+2
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
Good for you! Stand by your principles!
Personally, I would make people take responsibility for themselves as far as the NHS are concerned.
If you drink and smoke like a trooper then you should contribute to the cost of your lung and liver transplants. If you are hugely obese (apart from genuine thyroid problems), you should contribute towards the cost of treating your Type 2 diabetes and associated problems. I notice in the press recently that people admitted to hospital with alcohol related problems will be fined and made to pay so that’s a start!
Rate Political Comment
+3
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
As much as it goes against what I believe I actually agree Sarah in some cases where the illnesses are self inflicted i.e. Drug Users/Drink etc then they should be sanctioned in some way.
My partner gets 100% free prescription due to being type one Diabetic which is inherited, I tend to agree in cases like that but for people who cause the problems themselves then I believe they should pay some kind of fee (and I say that as a smoker).
Also I would suggest (probably be shot for this) but people (like me) on a decent income should have either private health cover or have some kind of insurance policy (as in the US) to cover medical costs, I would be happy with a system like that.
Then NHS resources could be used where they are needed with everyone who can afford it paying something towards it, as much as I like the system we have it could be put to better use than it currently is in terms of where the money goes.
Rate Political Comment
+3
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
your the female version of adolf hitler well done
Rate Political Comment
0
rachel,
You seemed to recognise Adolf Hitler rather quickly;
Is he your uncle?
Rate Political Comment
+1
I don’t think the Conservatives would risk removing the national minimum wage for the reason you mention, would be like another Poll Tax if they did!
However, my concern is the Conservatives have never been behind it and though I think we’ll now always have a national minimum wage in some form, I could see them not maintaining it’s link with inflation which would be terrible long term!
If the Conservatives removed the link with inflation or froze it for some reason (deal with government debt for example), long term it would make the national minimum wage meaningless to the average low paid worker. Yes, it might take over a decade before the real damage is done since if the link was lost today it would take some time before the legal minimum wage drops in real terms.
I have real problems trusting the Conservatives, I’m sure there are some good ones, but the parties nature is to protect big business, the upper middle class (people with money) not the working class**.
** I’m doing really well money-wise, but I’ll never forget where I came from and that was very poor working class (way below the poverty line) and I can’t turn my back on people who are like I was only 10 years ago.
David
Rate Political Comment
+9
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
I think it’s the same with every party David, I can’t say I agree with all the Conservative policies but they currently have more policies I can get behind that Labour do.
As a previous Labour voter I am concerned about the Conservatives ruining things like the New Deal (they are creating pretty much the same thing different name), initially with more money behind it but I think that will be re-thought once elected and the money being put in will drop (I hope it doesn’t, but have a feeling it will).
But I have to give them a chance with my vote this time and hammer them as much as possible to make sure they stick to what they promise, I know it may be too late by then if they do u-turn but I can’t see Labour improving things in the near future.
But always open to change, so we’ll see once the full manifestos are out maybe Labour can switch me back again, will be hard work this time but who knows.
Rate Political Comment
+6
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
David Cameron opposed the National Minimum Wage introduced in 1998 by the Labour Party, describing it as a “burden on business”.
Before Labour’s minimum wage, British people were often paid less than £1 an hour!.
Every single Tory MP voted against the National Minimum Wage!
In 2008, a bill was put forward in the Commons by Tory backbenchers proposing the effective abolition of the National Minimum Wage, giving employers the option of refusing to hire those who refused to work below the Minimum Wage!
Peter Bone was one of the Conservative MPs proposing this bill, Peter Bone once boasted in a speech to the Conservative Conference that he only paid his employees 88p per hour.
David Cameron is a millionaire (estimated to be worth over £30 million!) and is from an extremely wealthy family, he never has and never will have to experience the sort of work British people do for the national minimum wage. Like most Tories, he is out of touch with the British public.
Vote Yes to Minimum Working Standards for British Workers and No to Conservative Greed in 2010
Rate Political Comment
+11
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
mr cameron thinks that because he had a disabled son that died it makes him fit for office i do not think so
Rate Political Comment
+2
No, I am afraid it is not safe with the ConDem stitch-up.
I hope that the pensioners don’t get hammered as well.
Rate Political Comment
0
People need a living wage (£7.00p) not the £5.80p minimum wage ,no incentive for people to work on such a miserly sum minus tax travel expenses to work .
Rate Political Comment
0
Yes people need a living wage, but unlike Labour this government has made a step in the right direction by moving the minimum tax thresholds.
Whats the point in taxing people at the minimum tax thresholds to give it them back (to some) in tax credits why not just not take it off them in the first place?
Rate Political Comment
0
£7.00 should be the absolute minimum..but the question i need answering is why do the tories think its such a good thing having low wages.
if you cant afford to live on £6.00 an hour other people have to pay higher taxes to subsidise the low paid or people who have just given up and never worked.also the more people earn the more taxes they pay does this not benefit the whole of society really the only winners are the tescos,asdas of this world.
but like everything in this country most stories are just pushed about to sell newspapers and yet the real important stuff is buried by the right wing press because they fear us all joining up and fighting against the big companies who make outlandish profits
Rate Political Comment
0
Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?
Leave a reply to Is the National Minimum Wage Safe Under a Conservative Government Poll?