Boris Johnson faces a backlash from “red wall” voters if he fails to give all NHS staff a pay rise, a poll suggests.
Almost four in 10 new Tory voters say the Government will have “broken its promise” to NHS staff if it doesn’t give them an increase to reward their efforts during the crisis, according to the ComRes poll for campaign group 38 Degrees.
NHS workers on lower wages – such as nurses and porters – are excluded from the public sector pay rises for 900,000 staff, announced last week by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
But, in May, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “When it comes to how we reward people for their efforts... I will be making sure we fight to have that fair reward.”
If that does not include a pay rise, 38% of new Tory voters said the Government would have “broken its promise”.
The poll will make worrying reading for No10, coming on the heels of earlier figures suggesting three-quarters of new Tory voters think a pay rise for all NHS staff is “appropriate”.
Ellie Gellard, of 38 Degrees, said: “It beggars belief the Chancellor could announce a new pay rise to reward workers for what they’ve done during this crisis – and leave our nurses, hospital porters, ambulance staff and so many others out.
"The public, including new Tory voters, couldn’t be clearer – ALL our NHS heroes deserve a new pay rise.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “We are committed to supporting the entire NHS and social care workforce.”
