London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 09, 2025

Rishi Sunak claims nursing union’s pay rise demand is ‘unaffordable’. The government members luxury lifestyle, pensions and expenses enjoy the priority.

Rishi Sunak claims nursing union’s pay rise demand is ‘unaffordable’. The government members luxury lifestyle, pensions and expenses enjoy the priority.

The PM said it was ‘right’ that the Health Secretary was speaking to the Royal College of Nurses ahead of industrial action. What Mr. wrong knows about what’s right…?
Rishi Sunak said the pay deal sought by the nurses’ union was “unaffordable” but acknowledged people were struggling with the rising cost of living.

The Prime Minister told ITV News on Tuesday: “We have enormous gratitude for our nurses, and indeed all the other workers in the NHS, for what they do and have done for us over the past couple of years.

“But what the unions are asking for is a 17 per cent pay rise, and I think most people watching will understand that that’s unaffordable and the way we deal with these situations, because of course, it’s difficult and of course people are struggling, is that we have an independent body make recommendations to the Government about what a fair settlement is.”

Mr Sunak, in Bali for the G20 summit, said the recommendations of the independent body had been accepted, meaning a rise worth about £1,400 for a typical nurse.

He added: “Ultimately, this money is coming from taxpayers, from everybody watching, and everyone watching will also know that they’re suffering rising bills, they’ll be having those conversations with their own employers about what’s affordable in these difficult circumstances.

“That’s why we have an independent process that makes recommendations to the Government. The Government accepted them in full and that’s why it’s right that the Health Secretary is talking to the nurses’ union right now.”

The Royal College of Nursing is claiming a pay rise of 5 per cent above the rate of inflation, but other health unions have not put a figure on their demands.

Responding to Mr Sunak’s comments, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said: “Gratitude is not enough – it doesn’t pay the bills and it doesn’t stop nursing staff leaving the profession because they can no longer afford to be a nurse.

"No nurse ever wants to strike, but we have been forced into this situation because low pay is pushing nursing staff out of the profession and putting patient care at risk.”

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Steve Barclay met union leaders amid warnings of an “unprecedented” winter of strikes in the NHS in growing disputes over pay and staff shortages.


Hundreds of thousands of health workers, including nurses, ambulance crews, midwives and paramedics, have either voted for industrial action or are being balloted.

Unions have warned that a below inflation pay rise announced by the government in the summer was fuelling a raft of resignations as health workers find better paid and less stressful jobs.

Following the meeting on Tuesday, Health Secretary Steve Barclay tweeted: “I hosted a roundtable with unions representing a wide range of NHS staff today.

“I reiterated my admiration for all healthcare workers and we discussed ways we can work together to make the NHS a better place to work. My door remains open and we will continue to meet.”

GMB national officer Rachel Harrison said: “If the Health Secretary wants to stop an unprecedented winter of NHS strikes, he knows what to do.

“It’s not rocket science. Give NHS workers a proper pay rise, that means they don’t have to use food banks or quit the service in droves.

“By not paying staff properly, ministers are leaving the NHS unable to recruit and retain enough workers, putting patient safety at risk every day. Mr Barclay must listen to the concerns of health workers.”

Union leaders said they made it clear that without urgent government action on wages, experienced health workers would continue to quit their jobs, and the NHS would struggle to attract new staff in sufficient numbers.

Unison’s head of health and chair of the NHS unions Sara Gorton said: “There can be no solution to the damaging workforce crisis unless the government improves NHS pay. Without the staff to provide essential care, patients face excessive and lengthening waits to be seen.

“Ministers must give the NHS urgent help and provide the cash for another wage rise. The alternative is multiple disputes in what could be the worst winter on record for the NHS. No one wants that. The government must try harder for all our sakes.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×