Gordon Brown announces pay freeze for top civil servants

In a move which is certain to attract the anger of the unions and the gratitude of UK voters it has been revealed that the UK government will freeze the pay of senior judges, GPs, NHS managers and civil servants in the UK in the tax year 2010/11. The move has already been criticised by unions across the UK although the pay freeze had been expected for some time.

At a time when Gordon Brown is undeterred in his determination to spend, spend, spend to take the UK out of recession it seems that those in the civil service are starting to pay the price for this policy. Due to his focus upon public sector investment, which he is determined to maintain at current levels, Gordon Brown has given himself very little leeway with regards to public sector finances in the short to medium term. If he was to announce significant public sector investment cuts prior to the election he would be accused of yet another U-turn which would anger the unions and Labour voters.

It is ironic that the pay freeze for high-ranking civil servants comes just hours after MPs announced their own 1.5% annual pay rise. Perhaps MPs should have looked towards their own salaries before deciding to freeze the incomes of high-ranking civil servants and others in the UK public sector?