News / Politics

Cabinet ministers tell May to end austerity measures

Sunday, 02 July 2017 8:04 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 02 July 2017 8:22 AM ]

British Prime Minister Theresa May

British Prime Minister Theresa May has come under immense pressure from her ministers to end the government’s austerity measures.

While Health Minister Jeremy Hunt is urging the government to drop a cap on public sector pay rises of a below-inflation 1-percent cap for nurses, Education Minister Justine Greening is demanding a larger budget for schools.

This comes as a new Opinium survey for the Observer shows May’s popularity has gone down, with her approval rating standing at minus 20 percentage points as opposed to a positive rating of 21 percentage points in April.

British Agriculture Minister Michael Gove said that the government should accept the findings of any future public sector pay reviews.

The opposition Labour Party fared better than expected in the June 8 election with its promises of measures such as the end to the 1 percent cap on public sector pay increases.

On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets in London to protest against the government and demanded May’s resignation.

Protesters sit down in front of 10 Downing Street as they march through central London during an anti-austerity demonstration on July 1, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

They gathered in front of the BBC headquarters in central London to demand an end to the government’s austerity measures.

They were holding signs reading "No More Austerity", "Cuts Cost Lives" and "Tories Out."

The rally was organized by the People's Assembly Against Austerity, which earlier said in an online statement that they “need to make sure” the opposition to the government is felt.

Read more:

Thousands of Brits demand May's resignation

May has been under pressure ever since the June 8 election when British voters dealt her a devastating blow, wiping out her parliamentary majority and throwing the country into political turmoil.

The premier saved herself by forming a coalition government with the Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which won 10 seats. The DUP's all 10 MPs backed the Conservatives in last Wednesday's pay vote.

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