Government may cut minimum wage in the north to boost south.

[afleitch]

Research by the ERC has passed findings to the government suggesting regional variations in the minimum wage across the UK. As Chancellor, Brown expressed an openess to such a suggestion stating last year that Britain had to adopt 'more local and regional pay flexibility' The preliminary findings are:

North East England - £4.78
Northern Ireland -£4.80
Wales - £4.84
Yorkshire - £4.95
Scotland - £5.08
London - £6.90

I don't have figures for the midlands and the south as yet.

[afleitch]

Surely that thread title is the wrong way round.. Or am I missing something entirely?

Instead of an average national minumum wage, the minimum wage will vary according to region, withn the south of the country benefiting from a higher minimum wage. At present the minimum wage is £5.35. All regions above (except London) will therefore see the minimum wage fall. London's minimum wage will rise by £1.55. The North East will fall by £0.57

[afleitch]

Great, Labour hands another rallying cry to the BNP.

Under usual circumstances I don't see it being viewed favourably by the back benches if proposed. But I wouldn't be so sure now.

[afleitch]

Ideas like this have a habit of suddenly turning up, sometimes generating a little bit of debate, before vanishing again.

After ten years of Labour government pretty much doing that on a daily basis we should be used to it by now

I don't necessarily have a problem with weighing figures; however I think in some regions it will be damaging, particularly in areas of the country where commuting relatively short distances can transport you into a different county or region, this could affect the job market and damage communities, (I would imagine if a job in Bristol paid you £1 an hour more than a job in Newport, I'd cross the Severn) though providing a 'poisoned chalice' incentive for McJobs in the north.