EU announces 21 May as ‘European Natura 2000 day’ Today, Commissioner Karmenu Vella, Adina-Ioana Valean, Chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, First Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions and Neil Kerr, Deputy Permanent Representative of Malta … read more
Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “When we get sick, we may depend on specific drugs to save or prolong our lives. Companies should be rewarded for producing these pharmaceuticals to ensure that they keep making them … read more
The Council adopted conclusions on indigenous people, recalling that the EU is founded on values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. … read more
The use of public water resources for electricity production in Portugal is subject to a concession agreement. The government picks a concessionaire following specific procedures determined by law. In 2007, Portugal extended several hydro power concessions beyond the termination date … read more
The Tories are today claiming that they will ‘continue increasing the National Living Wage’. However, hidden in the small print of their press release they let it slip that they are planning to water down the existing National Living Wage.
This change would leave the average full-time worker on the National Living Wage £2,283 worse off by 2020.
Earlier in the Parliament, George Osborne announced that the Tories’ so-called National Living Wage (NLW) was to hit £9 per hour by 2020. To get here the Tories promised that it would reach the level equivalent to “over 60 per cent of median hourly earnings” by 2020.
Today, they’ve broken this promise and changed their commitment to increasing the National Living Wage only “in line with median incomes”.
This means that the National Living Wage will be £8.20 in 2020 as opposed to the promise of £9 per hour under Osborne.
In contrast, Labour is committed to a Real Living Wage of £10 per hour by 2020.
Ian Lavery, Labour’s National Campaign Co-ordinator, commenting, said:
“Theresa May is taking working people for fools.
“This morning she claimed she was standing up for working people, but hidden in the small print of her announcement is a cut to working people’s incomes.
“The Tories cynical ploy to pull the wool over voter’s eyes won’t work.
“Today’s ridiculous claims are yet more evidence that this election is a choice between a Tory party that fails working people and a Labour Party that will stand up for working people and deliver a better, fairer Britain.”
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