The politician continued: “I think it’s just worth mentioning as well that in the private sector, many people are actually losing their jobs and have been on very much reduced incomes over the past year.
“No one else, no other public sector employee is receiving a pay rise and so it’s against that backdrop that the government has decided that all we can afford is the one percent but nurses and healthcare workers will be the only employees the only workers receiving a pay rise this year.
“Many public sector workers will receive northing, many people in the private sector have either lost their jobs or are on reduced incomes.
“And if I can just make one more point, it’s also important to note that over the past three years, newly qualified nurses have received a 12 percent increase which quite rightly so have taken their salaries to an average of £34,000.
