A Wigan MP has clashed with the Lib Dems over what he calls their "ridiculous" minimum wage proposals.
Makerfield's Ian McCartney – the man who introduced the legislation a decade ago – had a verbal punch-up in the House of Commons this week with leading Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Lorely Burt MP.
Ms Burt called for a lower minimum wage for people
who live in Liverpool than those who live in the south of England, including London, causing uproar among MPs.
Ms Burt told MPs: "The point I was trying to make is that people in London should have more, not that anyone from elsewhere in the country should have less!"
Mr McCartney said: "This is the Liberal Democrats all over – they never change. Ten years ago they were arguing for a lower minimum wage for hard working families in the north, compared with hard working families in the south. This was not acceptable then and it's not acceptable now."
Mr McCartney said he wanted to see the minimum wage extended to 18 year olds and not cut simply because someone lives and works in the North West compared to the south.
He said: "It is not acceptable that's someone in Liverpool or the north or south of Scotland who works for a company operating throughout Britain – say, a hamburger chain – is paid less than someone doing the same job in the south-east. This is a ridiculous claim."
The full article contains 241 words and appears in Wigan Evening Post newspaper.
