A Conservative government would keep the minimum wage, the new shadow
chancellor Michael Portillo confirmed last week.
The declaration confirms a policy switch expected since former shadow trade
& industry spokesman John Redwood told Employers’ Law magazine last year,
"We might say, ‘Well it has done all the damage it is going to do now so
we might as well keep it in the way Labour might have done.’"
Meanwhile, Mencap this week claimed that the minimum wage is unintentionally
threatening the jobs of people with severe learning disability.
A report by the charity found that the minimum wage has benefited many with
a learning disability. But those with a severe learning disability face losing
their jobs or a reduction in their hours because employers can no longer
reflect their contribution in the wage paid.
