Day: May 25, 2025

Amid apparent rising pay, economists are concerned about the consequences of a possible shift in the balance of power

When Eastbourne’s refuse collectors secured a huge 11% pay rise, increasing to 19% for the lowest paid, it seemed like worker power was back.

It was early 2022 and inflation was rocketing on its way to a peak of 11%. In a desperate scramble to keep pace with rising prices to protect their incomes, workers across the UK’s public and private sectors took widescale industrial action in a way that brought back memories of the 1970s. What followed was a series of pay deals thrashed out between bosses and employees, with unions often arguing they had been due pay increases for years.

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Whether on leader favourability or on key policy areas, Labour is losing ground on almost every metric

Opinion polls don’t always provide a precise picture of voters’ mood – and the next general election is still four years away. But Labour strategists will doubtless be poring over the data, and it’s not pretty.

Analysis by the Guardian found Labour’s drop in the opinion polls in its first 10 months of power is the largest of any newly elected UK government in 40 years.

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