Boris Johnson hints at NHS worker pay rise in fiery PMQs
Boris Johnson has hinted that NHS workers will be given a pay increase in a heated back-and-forth with Sir Keir Starmer at today’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
Johnson said he wanted “to see our NHS staff paid properly, the NHS supported” and that it would “be warmly welcomed across the whole of our establishment of the NHS”.
Starmer also pushed the Prime Minister on why immigrant NHS and care workers will continue have to pay an NHS surcharge and if he would overturn the policy.
Johnson said there would be no change in policy, despite the great outpouring of support for care workers over the past three months.
“We must look at the realities – this is a great national service, national institution,” Johnson said.
“Those contributions help us raise £900m pounds and it’s very difficult to find alternative sources [of funding]…I do think that is the right way forward.”
The atmosphere at PMQs was more animated than in previous weeks as the exchange between Johnson and Starmer got a little personal.
Johnson, with more Tory MPs back in the chamber this week yelling in support, at one point mocked Starmer for using one of his six questions to ask about when the government’s trace and trace system will be set up, which the Prime Minister had already answered.
“The honourable gentleman seems to be in the unhappy position of having rehearsed his third of fourth question without having listened to my previous answer – brilliant forensic mind that his is,” Johnson said.
“What he has heard is we having a growing confidence that we will have a test. track and trace operation that is world beating and yes it will be in place by 1 June.”
Johnson on a previous response also said Starmer was being negative on the government’s approach to care homes.
In a sombre tone, the former Director of Public Prosecutions answered: “Thirty-four-thousand deaths…is negative.
“Of course I’m going to ask about that and quite right too.”
Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle also became animated at one stage after health secretary Matt Hancock kept intervening during Starmer’s questions.
Addressing Hancock, he said: “Sorry, do you want to leave the chamber?
“We’re on maximum numbers, if you want to give way for somebody else i’m more than happy.”