Nigel Adams MP has been accused of being ‘out of touch’ (Picture: PA/Twitter)

A Conservative MP has been criticised for his ‘out of touch response’ to proposals by the Labour party to include young workers in a higher minimum wage.

Nigel Adams, MP for for Selby and Ainsty in North Yorkshire, responded to Labour’s plans to extend the living wage pledge of £10 per hour to 16 and 17 year-olds on Twitter with: ‘Why not throw in a free iPad and free Spotify subscription?’

Currently the minimum wage for under-18s is £4.35 an hour, compared to £8.21 for those over 25.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s new policy will likely abolish the ‘youth rate’ by 2020.


Mr Adams’ comments were seized on by social media users, who were quick to point out how he had ‘claimed for an iPad Pro keyboard on expenses’.

Nigel Adams MP responded to plans by Labour to extend the minimum wage to young workers (Picture: Twitter)

Mr Adams’ comments were seized on by social media users, who were quick to point out how he had ‘claimed for an iPad Pro keyboard on expenses’ (Picture: PA)

Others criticised him for his ‘lack of empathy’ for young workers and questioned why young people should be paid less, despite doing the same job and working as hard as other workers.



One person said: ‘You’re not in favour of encouraging young people to be able to stand on their own two feet then? I left home in my teens, a decent wage would have changed my life immensely.’

Another added: ‘Or you could just pay an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, as is being suggested.’

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Mr Corbyn had already pledged to raise the National Living Wage – a legally binding hourly rate for workers aged 25 and over – to £10 an hour next year, if Labour were to gain power.

He said the proposal would see workers aged 16 and 17 paid about £2,500 more a year.

However, Matthew Percival, head of employment at the Confederation of British Industry, said youth rates should be retained as they help reduce youth unemployment.

This is because younger workers are more at risk of being priced out of jobs if they cost employers the same as more experienced candidates.

He said: ‘The minimum wage is an important part of the UK labour market and must not be used as a political football.’

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