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Stephen Gilbert MPCornwall's voice in the Commons |
STEPHEN GILBERT LAUNCHES ‘FAIR PAY FOR CORNWALL’ CAMPAIGN
June 13, 2012 5:34 PM
Mid-Cornwall Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Gilbert today launched a campaign for "Fair Pay for Cornwall" at an event in St Austell with the Liberal Democrat Party President Tim Farron MP.
Stephen, who has the support of Cornwall's other Liberal Democrat MPs Andrew George and Dan Rogerson, said he is "utterly opposed" to any move to regional or local pay for Cornwall's thousands of public sector workers.
Speaking at today's launch event at the UnionLearn Centre in St Austell, Stephen said:
"Any move towards local pay for the public sector would see a race to the bottom for the thousands of hard working public servants in Cornwall -neither I nor my Liberal Democrats colleagues will support it.
"Cornwall already suffers from a double-whammy of below national average wages and above national average costs for housing, water and fuel. Regional pay would lock-in and institutionalise this problem and do nothing to solve it.
"It would take tens of millions of pounds out of the local economy, hitting private sector businesses at the same time as punishing Cornwall's hardworking teachers, nurses, policemen and firemen many of whom are already facing a squeezed income.
"I am clear that this is the wrong approach from the Government and I will not be supporting it. Over the coming weeks and months I will take my campaign for fair pay for Cornwall to the people of Cornwall and I will be asking them to show the Government what we think."
Tim Farron MP, President of the Liberal Democrats, added:
"Stephen Gilbert is fighting for local people here and in Westminster and I am pleased to be backing his campaign for Fair Pay for Cornwall.
"Liberal Democrats in Government have already cut taxes by £550 for all basic rate income tax payers and we will oppose any move to introduce regional pay which would hit the thousands of public sector workers here."