BOTH Herefordshire MPs voted against a proposal to end a freeze on public sector pay.

Jesse Norman and Bill Wiggin, who are both Conservatives, were among those to go against Labour’s amendment which called for an end to the public sector pay cap.

The opposition party had tabled an amendment of regret to the Queen’s Speech, with the pay rate for public sector workers having been frozen at one per cent rises since 2010. However, the motion was voted down by Conservatives and DUP MPs by 323 to 309.

Meanwhile, members of Hereford Labour Party, leafleted in High Town on Saturday as part of Labour’s national day of action. The literature outlined Labour’s costed alternative to Conservative cuts to the NHS, schools, police and local government.

The group said: “The Labour alternative program would be funded by taxing the wealthiest individuals more, by reversing recent cuts in corporation tax and by a ‘Robin Hood’ tax on city financial transactions.

“We had a positive response including spontaneous donations and people signing up to join the party.”

And staff from Wye Valley NHS Trust joined members of Unison Hereford health branch in travelling to London on Saturday to make their feelings known on austerity by joining a march to fight for public services.