A Tory MP has said NHS workers should not be paid more because he could be earning £400,000 in the private sector but chooses not to. Simon Clarke earns more than £84,000 but said he could be earning way more if he chose to work in the private sector.
Mr Clarke, who previously worked as Levelling UP Secretary under Liz Truss, took part in an online debate on Facebook, in which he said that the Government does "not get the credit" it deserves on NHS pay. His comments were made after he was questioned by a user on Facebook, according to The Mirror.
One user taking part in the debate said: "The average GP has trained and qualified for their role and are justified for their salary.”
Mr Clarke replied: “Fine… but the average MP is also well qualified. I suspect my earnings in the private sector today would be £300-400,000. I do this job because I believe in it.”
The MP went on to defend the Government's decision not to pay nurses more. He argued the NHS budget has "never been higher".
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is holding its first nationwide strike in 106 years. The union is calling for a pay rise of 5% above inflation.
The Government announced earlier in the year that all NHS staff in England would get a £1,400 pay rise. However, unions argue that due to high inflation rates, this is still effectively a pay cut. the average nurse's salary is £34,000 according to the RCN.
