Trade Unions Angry At The PM Over Public Sector Pay

Comments suggest Keir Starmer is prioritising mortgages Z raat x,

- DAVID MADDOX

Sir Keir Starmer is facing an early end to his post-election honeymoon period as union leaders raise threats over public sector pay.

Comments made by the prime minister at the Nato summit in Washington DC appear to confirm that he is prioritising economic stability and bringing mortgages down over meeting demands for wage rises.

With junior doctors threatening more strikes over their demands for a 35 per cent pay rise and other pay review bodies on different sectors due to report shortly, Sir Keir was pushed on whether he is prepared to agree to above-inflation rises.

Health secretary Wes Streeting, who has also warned against a 35 per cent pay rise, is in talks with the doctors as an urgent priority but others could be coming up if pay demands are not met.

But the prime minister is also facing a number of other issues as he flies back to the UK:

• Already he has a rebellion among Labour MPs on the twochild benefit cap

• He is set to have to make difficult decisions on releasing prisoners because of an overcrowding crisis

• There are questions over when he will fulfil commitments including increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent