We were dragged down by years of over spending and mis management by a labour government.
They fought countless foreign wars, gave doctors and teachers and others in the civil service pay rises they didn't deserve.
Gave them huge pensions they don't deserve.
Sent young adults to university to gain useless degrees and do drugs instead of sending them to the factories and fields. The list is endless.
The first duty of business is to create profits for its share holders.
Wages for workers are an expense so it is better to reduce expenses by paying workers the minimum they will accept without walking out.
Theoretically if there is a shortage of Labour wages should rise but the business class can circumvent that danger by increasing the flow of cheap labour or even relocate abroad.
In many cases yes. The government have just said after I wrote my bit that they want companies disclosing ethnic pay...
In part you may be right but that's because wages have come down in my industry at least to match those from overseas