STORY
Torsten Bell has said Labour’s manifesto did not set a fixed timetable for removing age bands from the national living wage, despite the party’s commitment to ending what it described as discriminatory rates. The pensions minister said the Government remained committed to the policy but would rely on advice from the Low Pay Commission on how and when it should be delivered.
The comments came after Alan Milburn suggested that changes to youth pay rates could form part of a wider response to rising youth unemployment. Labour’s manifesto said that all adults should be entitled to the same minimum wage, a pledge which unions have interpreted as a commitment to equalising rates during this Parliament.
The issue could become a difficult internal argument for Labour, with ministers balancing employment concerns against pressure from the trade union movement. The Government is already under scrutiny over youth joblessness, with more than one million 16 to 24-year-olds outside work, education or training.