George Osborne: The man who stole the Living Wage

George Osborne (right) and his friend Dodgy Dave Cameron have spent a lot of time squirming recently.

George Osborne (right) and his friend Dodgy Dave Cameron have spent a lot of time squirming recently.

This Writer had the devil of a time on the doorstep on Sunday, trying to explain to one lady that George Osborne’s ‘living wage’ isn’t enough to live on.

That’s exactly why he stole the expression, of course.

He knows that most people don’t have the time or the inclination to research these things, and are happy to be guided by what they hear in the media.

So by stealing the phrase from the Living Wage Foundation, Osborne instantly managed to convince most of the UK that you can live on a wage of £7.20 an hour without claiming state benefits.

It isn’t even a clever trick but it has worked, despite the fact that we all know Osborne’s words aren’t worth the time it takes for him to say them – look at his many, many Budget failures and his speech on the European Union referendum yesterday (Monday).

That’s why moments like Martin Lewis’s attack are important.

They remind people about what’s real.

A financial expert has shot George Osborne to ribbons on national TV by declaring: “You stole the living wage!”

The Chancellor squirmed as Martin Lewis hit out at his newly-introduced £7.20-an-hour rate for over-25s.

Dozens of firms are now cutting back staff perks to afford the rate – meaning those aged under 25 face a double blow.

Mr Osborne said the 50p pay rise was one of his proudest achievements and stingy firms should be “shamed into doing the right thing”.

But Money Saving Expert website founder Mr Lewis attacked the top Tory, saying his rate was still not enough to cure society’s ills.

“You stole the name Living Wage from the National Living Wage Foundation,” he told the Chancellor on ITV’s The Agenda.

“Your National Living Wage for over-25s is £7.20. The Living Wage Foundation – that’s £9.20. It’s £8.25 outside London.

“You call the living wage £7.20. In reality it’s just a minimum wage for over-25s.

“The living wage wasn’t yours. You should’ve called it another name. It’s naughty.”

The attack comes after the Living Wage Foundation urged firms to ignore George Osborne’s rate and pay wages people can live on.

Source: ‘You stole the living wage!’ George Osborne shot down on TV by financial expert over his £7.20 rate – Mirror Online

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

5 thoughts on “George Osborne: The man who stole the Living Wage

  1. Dez

    Yet another Tory disaster with many companies protecting their profits by cutting benefits, staff and reducing time and any other method they can find to keep their profit. Ossie is a complete fool and will never make a PM.

  2. robert fillies

    As usual with this Government it’s all about the headline, as you said Mike most people won’t research what’s behind the pr and will think that Osbourne and the tories have done something wonderful, rather than what it is-a better increase that what is normally the case to the minimum wage.

Comments are closed.