Britain’s opposition Labour Party to force vote in parliament on pay cap

Britain’s opposition Labour Party will force a vote in parliament on Wednesday over a pay cap for public sector employees, the first test of whether Prime Minister Theresa May can muster enough lawmakers to rule. May’s botched gamble on a June 8 snap election lost her Conservative Party its majority in parliament, leading her to strike a deal on Monday with a small Northern Irish party to ensure she has enough votes to pass legislation in parliament.

May’s party won 318 seats in the election so with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party’s 10 lawmakers, she has a slender working majority in the 650-seat parliament. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose party has 262 lawmakers, said his party would submit an amendment to May’s legislative plan in an attempt to end cuts to the police and fire service and to give emergency and public sector workers a pay rise.

“Today will be the first vote of the new Parliament, as Labour puts forward our amendment,” Corbyn said in a statement. He added that May “has no majority, no mandate and no plan for our country.” “Labour is ready and waiting to form a government with the policies and the plan to build a country that works for the many, not the few,” Corbyn said.

(REUTERS)