Tactical tit-for-tat over the minimum wage

Scrabbling among politicians has done nothing to further the debate over low salaries.

Last week, the Liberal Democrats accused the Tories of "nicking" their ideas amid signs of a Tory push for a substantial rise in the minimum wage. Treasury minister Sajid Javid says there is a "strong case" for an increase, since the £6.31 rate is 10% below 2008 levels in real terms, says Sam Coates in The Times.

George Osborne says a rise would be welcome, but also cautioned against "self-defeating" increases if they came at the expense of jobs. This is a "cynical" attempt by the Tories to "buff up" their caring image, says Simon Heffer in the Daily Mail.

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