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Chris Philp – 2023 Statement on the National Police Response to the Hillsborough Families Report

The statement made by Chris Philp, the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, in the House of Commons on 1 February 2023.

I am extremely grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. I know this is a subject with profound personal resonance for him. I pay tribute to him and many others for the work they have done and continue to do in memory of the victims of this awful tragedy and to ensure that the lessons are learnt.

The Hillsborough disaster was an awful, devastating tragedy. Its impact continues to be felt to this day, especially by the families and friends of the victims. I am sure the thoughts of the whole House are with them. It is imperative that lessons are learned from the experiences the Hillsborough families have gone through, so I am very grateful to Bishop James Jones for the report he produced, which highlighted a number of points of learning for the Government, the police and other agencies.

As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said during yesterday’s debate, the Government are fully committed to engaging with the Hillsborough families prior to the publication of the Government’s formal response. Since arriving in the Home Office two or three months ago, I have asked for this work to be sped up, and we are expecting it to come out in the course of this spring. The National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing published their response earlier this week. I welcome their commitment to avoid repeating the mistakes that were made, and I welcome the apology that they gave. They made it clear that strong ethical values and the need for humanity and humility in the police response to public tragedies are critical. One of the commitments they rightly made earlier this week was to substantially strengthen and update their own code of ethics in relation to these issues.

Some important steps have been made by the Government in the past few years, which have addressed a number, but not all, of the points that Bishop James Jones published. For example, in 2020 a suite of police integrity reforms was introduced, on a statutory basis, via the professional standards for policing, which included, crucially, a duty to co-operate with inquiries. Other initiatives have already been taken forward to support bereaved families, including the removal of means-testing for exceptional case funding to cover legal support for families at an inquest, which broadens the scope and access for families; and the refreshing of our “Guide to Coroner Services for Bereaved People” so that it is more tailored to their needs and provides improved guidance for others involved in the inquest process. The Inquiries Act 2005 also provides a statutory process for funding legal representation requests. Last year, the Home Office also established an independent pathology review, and additional consultation with the families is now taking place. A consultation has also taken place on retaining police documents, which was the subject of a recommendation made by the bishop, and the Ministry of Justice has also consulted on establishing an independent public advocate.

Those steps are important. They go a long way to improving the situation, but they do not cover everything that the bishop recommended, which is why we will be responding in full. We intend to do so in the spring, but after, of course, full and deep engagement with the families concerned.

The Government are committed to making sure that these lessons are learned following this awful tragedy and I, as the newly appointed Police Minister, will do everything that I can to work with Members across the House, particularly those representing the affected communities, to make sure that this does now happen quickly.

05/02/2023
Mary Kelly Foy – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Prosecution of Hate Crime

The parliamentary question asked by Mary Kelly Foy, the Labour MP for City of Durham, in the House of Commons on 1 February 2023.

Mary Kelly Foy (City of Durham) (Lab)

What steps she is taking to ensure effective prosecution of hate crime.

The Solicitor General (Michael Tomlinson)

We are committed to delivering justice for victims of hate crime. All CPS prosecutors are trained about hate crime, and its specialist prosecutors help to lead that work. The latest figures show that the CPS has prosecuted nearly 13,000 hate crime offences, with a charge rate of 86% and, importantly, a conviction rate of 84%.

Mary Kelly Foy

As we mark the start of LGBTQ History Month, it was shocking to see in the year-end figures for hate crime a 41% increase in offences targeting people’s sexuality and a 56% increase in offences targeting people’s transgender identity. What are the Government doing to stop prejudice and fear, which led to that rise in crime, being stoked against the LGBTQ community?

The Solicitor General

In the hon. Lady’s area of the north-east, the CPS is particularly successful in getting uplifts to sentences in relation to hate crime. In the last rolling year to date, it has been successful in obtaining uplifts in 90% of cases. The question she raises is important and the CPS is working incredibly hard in that area.

05/02/2023
Stuart McDonald – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Legislative Competence of the Scottish Parliament

The parliamentary question on Stuart McDonald, the SNP MP for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, in the House of Commons on 1 February 2023.

Stuart C. McDonald (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East) (SNP)

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential implications of an order under section 35 of the Scotland Act 1998 for the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament.

The Attorney General (Victoria Prentis)

As I said earlier, by convention, information on whether the Law Officers have been asked to provide advice and the content of such advice are not disclosed outside Government. That convention enables candid legal advice to be given.

Stuart C. McDonald

Why was the prospect of a section 35 order not raised at any time before the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was overwhelmingly passed by the Scottish Parliament? What alternatives did the Attorney General look at? When will she set out the changes to the Bill that she wants to see before the Government would revoke the section 35 order? Those are simple questions. If she cannot answer them, all we can conclude is that the Government have lost their last shred of respect for the Scottish Parliament.

The Attorney General

That would be absolutely the wrong conclusion to draw. The Attorney General’s convention is clear: the UK Government respect the Scottish Parliament’s ability to legislate within its competence on devolved areas. The Government are committed to working with the devolved Administrations and strengthening the Union of the UK.

05/02/2023
Aaron Bell – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Prosecutions for Fraud and Bribery

The parliamentary question asked by Aaron Bell, the Conservative MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, in the House of Commons on 1 February 2023.

Aaron Bell (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Con)

What steps she is taking to help the Serious Fraud Office investigate and prosecute fraud and bribery.

The Solicitor General (Michael Tomlinson)

Mr Speaker, you may remember that the SFO successfully prosecuted Glencore Energy UK Ltd and that the total amount the company will pay—£280 million—is the highest ever ordered in a corporate criminal conviction in the United Kingdom. We continue to work closely with the SFO to identify any policy changes that could support its ambitions.

Aaron Bell

My constituents want to see the Government crack down on corporate criminality. What measures are the Government considering in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill to address corporate crime?

The Solicitor General

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his interest. The Government recognise that the current law does not go far enough. That is why we have committed to addressing the need for a new “failure to prevent” offence in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill. In addition, we are introducing a provision to extend the SFO’s pre-investigation powers.

05/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK economy has missed out on £400bn of growth under Conservative government since 2010 [February 2023]
The press release issued by the TUC on 2 February 2023.
UK GDP is now £400bn less than expected from the growth rate forecast by the OBR when the Conservatives took office in 2010

The wealth of the top decile has grown by 70% since 2010, while workers have endured the worse pay crisis for 200 years

By cutting services and holding down wages in favour of a wealth boom for the rich, the Tories have created an economic “doom loop”, says TUC

New research published today (Thursday) by the TUC shows that the UK economy has been managed under Conservative government since 2010 to reward the wealthy, but at the cost of wages and GDP growth.

The research will be discussed today at a TUC conference on Economics for workers, not wealth.

The ‘doom loop’ of wage cuts, asset booms and low growth

The TUC research details how government spending cuts have weakened the economy, without improving the public finances.

Weaker growth has resulted in lower revenues. But rather than recognising cuts as a cause of weak growth, Conservative governments have doubled down on cuts to departmental budgets and cuts to the real pay of public sector workers.

In parallel, policies have been implemented that favour wealth accumulation over wage growth. This includes:

Tax breaks for corporations, banks, and wealthy individuals

Legislation to weaken workers’ wage bargaining power

Failure to strengthen corporate responsibility to ensure a fair distribution of rewards between workers and shareholders

The union body says that this approach to the economy has created a “doom loop” of weak wage growth, weak GDP growth, and weak revenue. With the Conservative government’s current approach of public sector pay cuts, departmental budget cuts, and refusal to consider wealth taxes, this doom loop is set to keep turning.

Returning to a balance between wealth and wages that supports growth

The TUC is calling on the Conservative government to end its damaging fixation with boosting the wealth of the rich at the cost of a strong economy with decent wage growth and improvement to living standards.

The report examines the trend for weaker economic growth from 1979 onwards, compared to the post-war period of sustained growth in GDP, wages and living standards.

The analysis shows how shifting economic power from the wealthiest to workers will reinvigorate the UK economy and can set it back towards a sustained path of stronger growth.

And it backs the call made by the IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, to ‘embrace the spirit of Keynes to build a more resilient world for all’, through international agreements to protect labour standards from capital flows.

The TUC is calling on the government to takes steps to achieve this shift, including:

Fund decent pay rises for all public service workers that at least match the cost of living and begin to restore earnings lost over the last decade.

Strengthen and extend collective bargaining across the economy, including introducing fair pay agreements to set minimum pay across whole sectors.

Make sure everyone pays their fair share of taxes by equalising capital gains tax rates with income tax as a first step to fair taxes on wealth.

Outline an investment plan in public services to fill staff vacancies, clear backlogs and meet the Prime Minister’s promise of “world-class” public services.

Pursue international agreements to raise labour standards by permitting countries to control capital flows in ways that protect and promote decent jobs in all countries.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Wage growth is the fuel in the tank that drives the economy. Businesses need customers with money to spend. That’s the only way our economy is going to grow sustainably.

“But since 2010, Conservative policies have held down wages year after year. And ministers have given more and more in tax breaks to banks, corporations, and high earners. The rich got richer, but living standards for everyone else fell.

“We need a fresh approach to the economy that restores economic power to working people. That is what will break us out of this doom loop of pay squeezes, low spending, and low growth.”

On the need for international agreements to protect workers from global capital flows undermining decent work, Paul added:

“Last century, Britain spearheaded international agreements that meant countries cooperated to protect and improve jobs. It helped create the post-war economic boom.

“But over time these agreements have been undone. And today we too often find ourselves in a race to the bottom – losing jobs overseas, and downgrading the quality of jobs in the UK.

“It’s time to return to the approach that worked so well for our grandparents. Britain should once again go to our global partners with proposals for shared rules that protect and promote decent jobs in all countries.”
05/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : TUC welcomes civil liberties’ groups condemnation of ministers’ attack on the right to strike [January 2023]
The press release issued by the TUC on 30 January 2023.
50 leading civil liberties organisations and rights groups including Liberty, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam slam the government’s strikes bill

The TUC has today (Monday) welcomed an open letter penned by 50 civil liberties organisations and rights groups slamming the government’s new anti-strikes bill as an attack on the fundamental right to strike.

The organisations including Liberty, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and many more said the Bill will allow “a further significant and unjustified intrusion by the state into the freedom of association and assembly.”

The groups also warn of the “enormous scope” the legislation would give ministers to decide key provisions, including the minimum service levels, without proper parliamentary scrutiny.

The Bill is back in parliament today for its third reading.

The TUC has launched a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to discover why the government published the Bill without a required impact assessment.

Previous government advice – published in the Autumn – warned that minimum service levels in transport could poison industrial relations, and lead to more frequent industrial action.

Despite this warning, the Conservatives are now proposing to extend minimum service levels to a range of other sectors including – health, education, fire, border security and nuclear decommissioning.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Ministers are launching a brazen attack on the right to strike – a fundamental British liberty.

“This draconian legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

“It is little wonder that civil liberties organisations up and down the country are lining up to condemn this spiteful Bill.

“It is undemocratic, unworkable and almost certainly illegal. And crucially it will likely poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes rather than help resolve them.”

On the need for ministers to come clean about the true scope of the Bill, Nowak added:

“Instead of levelling with the public about the bill’s draconian nature, ministers are railroading it through without proper scrutiny or consultation.

“With inflation running at over 10%, the last thing working people need is for ministers to make it harder to secure better pay and conditions.

“It is shameful that parliamentarians are being forced to vote blindly on such far-reaching new laws. We urge MPs from all parties to vote against this nasty Bill.”
Editors note

Letter in full – also found on the Liberty website

Dear Secretary of State,

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill

We are writing to you as organisations concerned with the protection of civil liberties in this country to urge you to reconsider the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill.

The right to strike is a fundamental liberty.

In Great Britain it is already highly constrained by detailed rules concerning balloting, notice periods and picketing.

We believe the proposals for minimum service levels during industrial action will unfairly constrain the activities of trade unions and their members by allowing a further significant and unjustified intrusion by the state into the freedom of association and assembly.

The government has produced no evidence that such draconian measures are necessary. Voluntary life-and-limb cover has long been a feature of industrial action by essential workers.

This Bill has the potential to cause significant damage to fair and effective industrial relations in this country by making it harder to resolve disputes. Indeed the government itself has acknowledged that minimum service levels risk leading to an increased frequency of strikes.

We are also concerned by the lack of detail in the Bill, and the enormous scope it gives you and your successors as Secretary of State to decide key provisions, including the minimum service levels themselves, free from proper Parliamentary scrutiny.

In particular, the vast power given to Ministers to amend or revoke primary legislation, including Acts that do not even exist yet, is an extraordinary denial of the duty of our elected representatives to legislate on our behalf.

The Bill will expand the power of Ministers over Parliament and employers over workers, undermine rights protections, and inject uncertainty and precarity into the lives of millions of people who may now face dismissal for going on strike.

We urge you to reconsider these plans for an unwarranted curtailment of freedom of assembly and association

Martha Spurrier, Director, Liberty

Justine Forster, CEO, Advocacy Focus

Robert Rae, Co-Director, Art27 Scotland

Clive Parry, England Director, Association for Real Change

D ame Sara Llewellin, Chief Executive, Barrow Cadbury Trust

Silkie Carlo, Director, Big Brother Watch

Rosalind Stevens, Project Manager, Civil Society Alliance

Brian Gormally, Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)

Isobel Ingham-Barrow, CEO, Community Policy Forum

Megan Thomas, Policy and Research Officer, Disability Wales

Ele Hicks, Engagement, Research, and Policy and Influencing Manager, Diverse Cymru

Andrea Simon, Director, End Violence Against Women Coalition

Clare Moody, Co-CEO, Equally Ours

Kyle Taylor, Founder, Fair Vote UK

Peter Wieltschnig, Policy & Networks Officer, Focus on Labour Exploitation (FLEX)

Clare Lyons, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Nick Dearden, Director, Global Justice Now

John Gaskell, Chair, Grassroots for Europe

Areeba Hamid & Will McCallum, Co-Executive Directors, Greenpeace UK

Declan Owens, Co-Chair, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers

Kevin Hanratty, Director, Human Rights Consortium Northern Ireland

Mhairi Snowden, Director, Human Rights Consortium Scotland

Yasmine Ahmed, UK Director, Human Rights Watch

Deborah Coles, Executive Director, INQUEST

Zehrah Hasan, Advocacy Director, The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)

Jess McQuail, Director, Just Fair

Nimrod Ben-Cnaan, Head of Policy and Profile, Law Centres Network

Barry Gale, Group Leader, Mental Health Rights Scotland

Fizza Qureshi, CEO, Migrants’ Rights Network

Zara Mohammed, Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain

Kevin Blowe, Campaigns Coordinator, Netpol

Mark Kieran, CEO, Open Britain

Kate Flannery, Secretary, Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign

Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive, Oxfam GB

Becky Peters, Director (Interim), People’s History Museum, Manchester Police Spies Out Of Lives

Lubia Begum-Rob, Director, Prisoners’ Advice Service

Ariane Adam, Legal Director, Public Law Project

Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive Director, René Cassin, the Jewish Voice for Human Rights

Agnes Tolmie, Chair, The Scottish Women’s Convention

Sue Tibballs, Chief Executive, Sheila McKechnie Foundation

Susan Cueva, Chair, Southeast and East Asian Centre (SEEAC)

Chris Jones, Director, Statewatch

Louise Hazan, Co-Founder, Tipping Point UK

Chris Brian, Researcher, Undercover Research Group

Katrina Ffrench, Director, UNJUST C.I.C

Tom Brake, Director, Unlock Democracy

Bob Miller, Secretary, Wearside Amnesty International

Joyce Kallevik, Director, Wish

Raewyn Jones, Interim CEO, Work Rights Centre
05/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : TUC accuses government of trying to “keep MPs in the dark” over scope of new anti-strikes Bill [January 2023]
The press release issued by the TUC on 30 January 2023.
Union body urges all Parliamentarians to reject “spiteful” legislation

MPs are being forced to “vote blindly” on draconian new laws, union body warns

Government is “ducking scrutiny” and “shortcutting” proper regulatory process, says TUC

TUC launches Freedom of Information request to discover why government has not published an impact assessment for Minimum Service Levels Bill

The TUC has today (Monday) accused the government of trying to “keep MPs in the dark” over the scope of its new anti-strikes legislation.

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is back in parliament today for its third reading and would give ministers sweeping new powers to restrict the right to strike.

The TUC has launched a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to discover why the government published the Bill without a required impact assessment.

Previous government advice – published in the Autumn – warned that minimum service levels in transport could poison industrial relations, and lead to more frequent industrial action.

Despite this warning, the Conservatives are now proposing to extend minimum service levels to a range of other sectors including – health, education, fire, border security and nuclear decommissioning.

Earlier this month the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) – a government-appointed body – criticised ministers for failing to provide MPs with an impact assessment on its new Minimum Service Levels bill.

The RPC said:

“Government departments are expected to submit impact assessments to the RPC before the relevant bill is laid before Parliament and in time for the RPC to issue an opinion alongside the publication of the impact assessment.

“An impact assessment for this Bill has not yet been submitted for RPC scrutiny; nor has one been published despite the Bill being currently considered by Parliament. “

Far-reaching powers

If passed, the Minimum Service Levels Bill will mean that when workers democratically and lawfully vote to strike they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

The TUC is calling on MPs of all parties to reject this spiteful legislation, which it says is “shortcutting” normal scrutiny procedures and being “steamrollered” through parliament without proper consultation and scrutiny.

The bill gives ministers power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation.

But consultations on how these regulations will work have not been published, and parliamentarians have been given few details on how minimum service levels are intended to operate.

The TUC says the new legislation will “do nothing” to solve the current disputes across the public sector, and “only make matters worse”.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“The government is trying to keep MPs in the dark about the draconian nature of this Bill.

“But make no mistake – this legislation will give ministers sweeping new powers to restrict the right to strike.

“The government must not be allowed to duck scrutiny. This spiteful legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

“The Minimum Service Levels Bill is undemocratic, unworkable and almost certainly illegal. And crucially it will likely poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes rather than help resolve them.

“It is shameful that parliamentarians are being forced to vote blindly on such far-reaching new laws. We urge MPs from all parties to vote against this nasty Bill.”

On the government’s railroading through of the Bill, Paul added:

“The government is investing far more time and energy in steamrollering this Bill through parliament than it is on resolving disputes.

“Instead of scheming up new ways to attack the right to strike, ministers should get pay rising across the economy – starting with a decent pay rise for public sector workers.

“The staffing crisis blighting our public services will only get worse if the Conservatives continue to hold down wages in our schools, hospitals and crucial services.”
05/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : TUC slams “full-frontal assault” on the right to strike as ministers “steamroller” strikes bill through Commons [January 2023]
The press release issued by the TUC on 30 January 2023.
- Government “ducking” proper scrutiny and consultation on strikes bill, warns TUC
Rishi Sunak’s government has launched a “full-frontal assault” on the right to strike, the TUC has today said – as the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill was “steamrollered” through the Commons without proper scrutiny or consultation.

The Bill was voted through this evening by MPs at its third reading.

If passed, the Strikes Bill will mean that when workers democratically and lawfully vote to strike they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

The TUC has launched a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to discover why the government published the Bill without a required impact assessment.

Previous government advice – published in the Autumn – warned that minimum service levels in transport could poison industrial relations, and lead to more frequent industrial action.

Despite this warning, the Conservatives are now proposing to extend minimum service levels to a range of other sectors including – health, education, fire, border security and nuclear decommissioning.

Today, 50 civil liberties organisations and rights groups, including Liberty, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam, penned an open letter condemning the Bill as an attack on the right to strike.

Far-reaching powers

The TUC has accused the government of “shortcutting” normal scrutiny procedures.

The bill gives ministers power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation.

But consultations on how these regulations will work have not been published, and parliamentarians have been given few details on how minimum service levels are intended to operate.

The TUC says the new legislation will “do nothing” to solve the current disputes across the public sector, and “only make matters worse”.

Commenting on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill being voted through the Commons this evening, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Rishi Sunak’s government has launched a full-frontal assault on the right to strike.

“This draconian legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

“And crucially it will likely poison industrial relations and exacerbate disputes, rather than help resolve them.

“Ministers know this bill is undemocratic, unworkable and almost certainly illegal.

“That’s why they are ducking proper scrutiny and consultation – and it’s why this bill was steamrollered through the Commons so quickly.

“With inflation running at over 10%, the last thing working people need is for ministers to make it harder to secure better pay and conditions.

“Conservative ministers must drop this spiteful bill and protect the right to strike – a fundamental British liberty.”
05/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : City pay has risen more than three times faster than NHS key worker pay since 2008 [January 2023]
The press release issued by the TUC on 27 January 2023.
- City executives rake it in while nurses forced to use food banks to get by, says TUC
- Striking workers “forced to take action” after years of cuts to pay
- TUC estimates the latest annual bonus for city executives is a whopping £18.7bn
City pay including bonuses (pay in the financial services and insurance sector), has risen more than three times faster than nurses’ pay (3.2 times) since 2008, according to new TUC analysis published today (Friday).

Pay in the financial services and insurance sector has also risen well over three times faster than midwives’ pay (3.4 times faster) and paramedics’ pay (3.4 times faster).

The new analysis shows that since 2008, average pay in the financial services and insurance sector has soared by 83% in nominal terms – almost double the rate of inflation in the same period (43%).

Average pay in the City has increased by 6 per cent a year in nominal terms since 2008, whereas nurses’, midwives, and paramedics’ pay has increased by less than 2 per cent.

The failure of key worker pay to keep pace with inflation has left many facing huge real terms losses:
- Nurses’ have lost £42,000 in real earnings since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with inflation
- Midwives’ have lost £56,00 in real earnings since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with inflation
- Paramedics’ have lost £56,000 in real earnings since 2008 as a result of their pay not keeping up with inflation
The TUC has warned that working people are facing “two decades of lost pay” unless the government changes course and gets pay rising up and down the country – starting with a decent pay rise for workers across the public sector.

Bumper bonuses for City executives

This analysis comes after a record-breaking year for bonuses in the City – as average payouts in the City have dwarfed average pay in almost all sectors.

The TUC estimates the latest annual bonus (2022) for workers in the finance and insurance sector is a whopping £18.7bn. The TUC says this is likely concentrated among the better paid – and markedly more than the cost of giving all public sector workers an inflation proof pay rise.

The Conservative government lifted the cap on bankers’ bonuses in September, allowing bankers to “help themselves” to unlimited pay outs.

Under previous policy, an employee’s bonus could be no bigger than 100% of their annual pay, or 200% if there is approval from shareholders.

Significant bonuses are common for high-paid City executives – and come on top of salaries.

The TUC highlights that there are also many low-paid workers in financial services, who get much smaller sums.

Key workers “forced to take action”

The TUC says striking health workers have been “forced to take action to defend their living standards” after more than a decade of pay cuts.

Nurses, paramedics and physiotherapists are all taking strike action for decent pay this winter.

Recent TUC polling showed three in five patients with diagnosed health conditions support health workers going on strike to defend their pay and living standards.

The union body says that the Conservative decision to hold down public sector pay has left workers “hugely exposed to the cost of living crisis” and deepened the staffing crisis in the NHS, education and other public services.

TUC polling published in October revealed that 1 in 3 public sector workers are actively considering quitting or have already taken steps to do so.

TUC General SecretaryPaul Nowaksaid:

“At a time when ministers are telling dedicated public servants they can’t have a pay rise, they’re letting city executives take home ever bigger sums.

“It’s not right. We can’t live in a country where nurses are having to use food banks to get by, while bankers are allowed to help themselves to unlimited bumper bonuses.

“This all boils down to political choices. Ministers could be taxing wealth and giving all of our public sector workers a decent pay rise.

“But instead, they are choosing to inflict more pay misery on our nurses, paramedics and midwives.

“Let’s be clear. Without decent pay rises, many more of our dedicated key workers in the public sector will vote with their feet and leave their professions for good.”

On strikes, Nowak added:

“Nobody takes strike action lightly. But workers have been pushed to breaking point by years of pay cuts.

“They have been forced to take action to defend their living standards and the services they provide.

“But so far, ministers seem more interested in escalating disputes than resolving them.

“Instead of undermining workers’ ability to bargain for better pay and conditions by attacking the right to strike, the government should focus on getting wages rising up and down the country – starting with workers across the public sector.“
05/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Hundreds of NHS buildings in London still contain deadly asbestos [January 2023]
The press release issued by the TUC on 23 January 2023.
- New research reveals many NHS premises still contain asbestos – including hospitals
- Survey carried out by Labour Research Department (LRD) finds two thirds of surveyed NHS premises and buildings still contain asbestos, despite its use being banned 23 years ago
- Asbestos still present in at least 451 buildings in London – more than half of those surveyed
- TUC calls for new legislation requiring removal of all asbestos from public buildings
The TUC and a group of MPs have today (Monday) warned hundreds of NHS buildings across London still contain asbestos – including hospitals.

The research was carried out by Labour Research Department (LRD) for the TUC and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health.

Asbestos is still the biggest workplace killer according to the Health and Safety Executive, and Britain has the highest rates of mesothelioma cases in the world. But new research reveals that the majority of NHS buildings – including hospitals, health centres, blood donor clinics and GP surgeries – still contain asbestos more than 23 years since its use was banned in new buildings.

Asbestos report

The survey found at least 451 premises with asbestos in London during the first half of 2022.

The TUC says the extent of asbestos presence in the research sample raises concern for the wellbeing of workers and members of the public using these premises.

Action needed

The TUC says the current Tory government has neglected its responsibility to provide safe workplaces in public buildings, “turning a blind eye” to the extent of asbestos still present – putting workers at risk.

The TUC is calling for new legislation requiring removal of all asbestos from public buildings, rather than the current policy of “managing” it.

The union body is calling on a future Labour government to include asbestos removal as part of a large-scale retrofit programme of all public buildings, funded by its Climate Investment Pledge.

There is no safe threshold of exposure to asbestos fibres – inhalation even of small quantities can lead to mesothelioma decades after exposure. This means that where asbestos is still present, it is not safe to assume there will be no disturbances that put working people in danger.

The TUC says the only way we will eradicate asbestos cancer is with a legal duty to safely remove asbestos, and a clear timetable for its eradication. Only then can we ensure that future generations will not have to experience the same deadly epidemic from asbestos-related diseases that we suffer today.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Asbestos exposure continues to cause thousands of deaths every year. Yet asbestos is still with us in workplaces and public buildings across the country. As a result, decades after the use of asbestos was banned, hundreds of thousands of workers, patients and members of the public are still put at risk of exposure every day.

“The only way to protect today’s workers and future generations is through the safe removal of asbestos from all workplaces and public buildings. We need national government to work with local authorities on a plan to remove it from every last building.”

Ian Lavery MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Asbestos, said:

“These shocking figures expose the extent of risk to dangerous carcinogenic exposure in the very places designed to nurture our health. Thousands of people are dying every year of asbestos-related illness, with thousands more being diagnosed. If asbestos is in a building, it will at some point become dangerous if it’s disturbed, so we need plans in place for its removal from all public buildings.”
05/02/2023