Cleverly says government must protect ‘the public purse’ amid nurses strike over pay

James Cleverly has insisted the government must be “good custodians of the public purse” when it comes to nurses’ pay.

Speaking with Laura Kuenssberg, the foreign secretary said negotiations should be done by unions and their employer - the NHS.

“Of course, we massively value what medical professionals do. My mother was a midwife in the NHS her whole working life,” he said.

However, he added that while politicians “recognise” the importance of nurses, they shouldn’t get involved in pay discussions.

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