OUR police and teachers are the backbone of society, out there on the frontlines when so many are cowering at home. That’s why I, Rishi Sunak, think they’ve earned every penny of their pay freeze.
I ask myself, what are we doing this for? We’re fighting this battle to restore the world to the place it was before Covid, which is why public sector salaries should remain exactly the same for a calm, unhurried three years.
Could you imagine how unsettling it would be if teachers had their pay cut, or worse, increased? They’d be so distracted that they wouldn’t be able to guess what GCSE results should be. Frankly our children deserve better.
A consistent pay cheque is also the foundation of our police force. If we give them more money they’ll get drunk on power, but if we reduce it by even a penny there’s a real risk they might become self-serving, corrupt liars. That must never be allowed to happen.
At the end of the day, people doing these jobs aren’t in it for the money. They work for more altruistic reasons like being undervalued by society. Showering them with cash would be an insult.
Some might call this austerity, but it isn’t. It is for them, but it isn’t for everyone else. And it’s that kind of selective, caring austerity we need as public sector workers who’ve continued throughout the pandemic pay for private sector workers who’ve had a year off.
Trust me, it’s the only way to be fair to everyone. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to have a coffee from £180 Bluetooth-connected smart mug. Mmm. Tastes all the sweeter.
