A DORSET MP has been called an “extremist” for sponsoring a bill to cut the minimum wage in some parts of the country.

Christopher Chope, MP for Christchurch, came up with the Minimum Wage (Amendment) Bill, which will have its second reading on March 4.

He told the Daily Echo people should be able to negotiate lower pay with their potential employer and local variations would be better than top-down control.

He said: “At the moment it’s said that in London the minimum wage is irrelevant because everyone is employed at more.

“I would imagine in the more remote places like Cornwall, or the North East, or parts of the North West, or in Wales, the wage would take into account local labour market conditions.”

He added: “We are not talking about larger companies, it’s smaller ones and people setting up a new businesses.

“People should have the freedom and the right to work at a wage between zero and the minimum wage.”

Paul Maloney, the national secretary of the GMB, which represents many manual workers, said: “Mr Chope is well known in trade union circles as an extremist and economic fundamentalist.

“He is so right wing that Gengis Khan would have considered him a model citizen. One thing is for certain – Mr Chope would not work for the minimum wage.”

Mr Chope tried to get the entire minimum wage abolished in 2009 but withdrew his bill shortly before its second reading.

The unions argued abolition would enable companies to exploit workers.

The Coalition Government has pledged its support for the minimum wage and Mr Chope said he knew the bill had no chance of success.

But he added: “Like a lot of my ideas, I want to try and educate people and get them to look an issue from a different angle.”

The MP also suggested in Parliament on Monday that: “One way of making the Big Society even bigger would be to give freedom to individuals to take employment with charities at below the minimum wage.”

Factfile

There are different levels of National Minimum Wage.

• £5.93 - the main rate for workers aged 21 and over

• £4.92 - the 18-20 rate

• £3.64 - the 16-17 rate for workers above school leaving age but under 18

• £2.50 - the apprentice rate, for apprentices under 19 or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship.