No Labour pledge to meet recommended pay review rises in full

Labour's fiscal rules are “non-negotiable”, its deputy leader has said, but there is "room in the middle” for pay rises.

Angela Rayner declined to say whether her party would accept the recommendations from the pay review bodies in full, if it came to power, as it had not "seen the books".

But answering questions at an Institute for Government event, she accused ministers of failing to recognise a "crisis" in public services and to "get round the table".

She was speaking ahead of an expected government announcement on recommended pay increases of 6 to 6.5% for public sector workers.

Public sector pay: Government weigh up 6.5% increase