Public sector pay rise ‘may have been leaked as revenge’ after Philip Hammond’s no-deal Brexit vote rebellion 2m teachers, armed forces and police officers to get up to 2.9% increase

The revelation that two million public sector workers are to get an inflation-busting pay rise may have been leaked as a hostile act against Chancellor Philip Hammond in revenge for him defying the government whip over no-deal Brexit, Whitehall sources believe.

On Monday, in one of the last major announcements of Theresa May’s government, the Treasury is expected to reveal details of the pay rises for teachers, police officers, armed forces personnel and other public sector workers.

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The planned announcement had been designed to help shape the legacies of both the outgoing Prime Minister and Mr Hammond as Chancellor, who are both leaving office on Wednesday.

Yet the details that were leaked to The Times newspaper did not come from the Chancellor’s office, sources said, and must have come from someone else in government.

Last days of May

In a sign of how discipline has broken down, Mrs May’s administration has been hit by numerous leaks. A number of departments would have had details of the pay rises, increasing the number of suspects, but the timing of the leak, in the aftermath of Mr Hammond’s role in Thursday’s rebellion against proroguing parliament in an attempt to block a no-deal Brexit, fuelled speculation that it was designed to ruin the Chancellor’s Monday announcement.

The plans include 2.9% for the armed forces, 2.75% for teachers and school staff, 2.5% for dentists and civil servants and 2% for senior civil servants. The rises are reported to cost £2bn, but will be funded from existing departmental budgets, and is not new money – meaning there will have to be cuts elsewhere to pay for it. The increase for teachers is below the rise last year of 3.5%.

Teachers and other school staff Pay rise rate: 2.75% Teacher Average salary of qualified teacher in England, outside London: £23,720 to £35,008 Extra money a year: £652 to £963 Salary after pay rise: £24,372 to £35,971 Headteacher Average salary of headteacher in England, outside London: £45,213 to £111,007 Extra money a year: £1,243 to £3,053 Salary after pay rise: £46,456 to £114,060 Lunchtime supervisor Average hourly rate of a lunchtime supervisor: £8 Extra money per hour: 22p Average hourly rate after pay rise: £8.22

The increases apply to armed forces across the UK, police in England and Wales, civil servants in England, Scotland and Wales and teachers, consultants and dentists in England. Nurses, GPs and junior civil servants are dealt with separately.

But while they are above the rate of inflation, it is only the second large rise after years of public sector pay being pegged back by austerity, meaning workers’ wages have struggled to keep pace with those in the private sector.

Union outcry

Unison assistant general secretary Christina McAnea said: “For almost a decade, the wages of public sector workers have been hit hard by the government’s austerity agenda. The incomes of NHS, council, police and school staff will be a long time in recovery from years of pay caps and wage freezes.

“The Prime Minister appears motivated by concerns for her legacy, not by a genuine desire to repair this damage. Any extra money must be for all public servants, and the government must stump up the extra cash for any pay increase.

“Otherwise services at breaking point will have to be cut further, close altogether or lose yet more staff. Public servants keep this country running and hold communities together. They all deserve a proper wage rise, but not at the expense of the services they deliver with such dedication.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Leaving this teachers’ pay announcement until the very end of term is incredibly inconsiderate to headteachers planning for next year, and to teachers who just want to know where they stand.”