Mr Major’s Doorstep Statement in Helsinki – 9 July 1992

Below is the text of Mr Major’s doorstep statement, made in Helsinki on Thursday 9th July 1992.

QUESTION:

Mr Major, it does seem pretty tough on top people’s pay, what you have proposed?

PRIME MINISTER:

Many people in the private sector have had to take very low pay increases this year or in some cases no pay increases this year, and of course many of the increases that there have been in the public service for very large numbers of workers have been very modest this year, that is necessary and I think the same principle must apply to people at the top of the civil service as well. I know it is tough, and I sympathise with that, but I think it is necessary, we must have an equality of treatment.

QUESTION:

Do you think that private business should…..

PRIME MINISTER:

I have said that repeatedly in the past, yes I do think that and I have repeatedly said so.

QUESTION:

It is alleged that people will want to leave the public service if they can get better rates elsewhere?

PRIME MINISTER:

I do not believe that that will be the case, I think we have dealt fairly with the public service over the years and I wish to continue to do so. I must emphasise, the people covered by these pay awards are people at the top of the civil service, the judiciary and of course the armed forces. They are very valuable to the public service and we very much value what they do, but at the moment we must seek pay restraint, pay restraint is being imposed in the private sector of necessity by very many companies upon millions of individuals, it is equally necessary in the public sector both for people at the top of the public sector and for people elsewhere in the public sector and that is what we have sought to do.