The Government will come under fire for inconsistency over public-sector pay restraint – last month HM Treasury offered a 13% pay rise over 3 years for its middle managers and advisors. In February the Association of Revenue and Customs balloted their members over the pay dispute – and members voted to accept the pay boost, which came alongside a doubling of paternity leave, and support for greater paid time off for childcare in general. In an email to members of the Association of Revenue and Customs, President Loz Hutton wrote that:

“Most members will see an average of 13% consolidated increase by the end of this pay offer. The vast majority of members will reach the 2022 maximum or be within 2% of this, with the new 2022 pay ranges being amongst the highest across the civil service.”

Rishi was happy to splurge out for those working in his favoured department – tax collection – not for other public sector workers in the NHS who are receiving a pay increase of just 1% while inflation stands at 0.9%. The Treasury will only undermine its half-hearted argument for spending restraint if it can’t tighten its own belt…