McDonnell calls for 15% pay rise for nurses and urges Starmer to be radical

Labour former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has called for a 15% pay hike for nurses going beyond what some unions are demanding.

The veteran left-winger and key ally of Jeremy Corbyn, who led the party to its worst election defeat since 1935, made the call as he argued for even more radical policies than those in 2019, which were rejected by voters.

It follows the government’s 1% pay rise offer for health staff, which has triggered protests following the coronavirus pandemic.

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Current Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said NHS workers should get a “fair” pay rise, but has previously declined to back a 12.5% increase proposed by the Royal College of Nursing, arguing the starting point should be 2.1%.

The Unite union has called for a 15% rise.

Speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme, Mr McDonnell spelt out what he felt should be the key priorities as he stressed the need to give the party direction, after a string of bruising losses in the Hartlepool by-election and in local polls across England.

The poor showing has led to public criticism of Sir Keir and bitter internal party wrangling.

Another Corbyn ally, Diane Abbott, has warned that losing the upcoming Batley and Spen by-election would mean “curtains” for the party leader.

The seat – held by Labour since Tony Blair won power in 1997 – is up for grabs after former MP Tracey Brabin quit Westminster following her election as the first mayor of West Yorkshire.

The pressure has grown further with Greater Manchester mayor and former health secretary Andy Burnham signalling he was open to making a future run for the leadership.

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While refusing to be drawn on Sir Keir’s leadership, Mr McDonnell argued Labour required “a sense of purpose again” and a vision.

Of the 2019 manifesto policies, he also believed that the party “do need to radicalise them and go further”.

“The reason we need to be more radical is because we’re facing in this country an existential crisis of climate change,” he said.

Pressed on the policies he would advise the leader to pursue, Mr McDonnell added: “Immediate action now to tackle poverty, that means a fair taxation system where we redistribute wealth in this country, full stop, that’s it.

“Secondly, making sure that when people go to work they earn a decent wage, and that means, yes, a pay rise for the nurses for 15%, ending the pay freezes, restoring trade union rights, and a green new deal to tackle climate change.

“They’re the three elements that I want to see now that we actually provide the basics of a good quality of life, they can be properly paid, they have a reasonable income, a roof over their heads, put food on the plates so they can feed their children, all of that, but above all else a green new deal now to tackle the climate change threat.”

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Mr McDonnell also told Sky News that Sir Keir should reinstate Mr Corbyn as a parliamentary Labour MP.

The former Labour leader had the party whip withdrawn in October following his response to an Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism in the party.

But Mr McDonnell said allowing him back into Labour at Westminster would demonstrate Sir Keir’s desire to “unite” the party.

He said: “Keir, when he was elected leader, said he would unite the party and that’s why he received such overwhelming support when he was elected leader.

“One step in demonstrating his uniting the party is to give Jeremy back the whip.

“I think it would be a really helpful act if Keir did that now.”

Having the whip withdrawn is considered a serious punishment by a party.

While the MP can keep their seat in the House of Commons, they are classed as an independent.

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