The Chancellor of the Exchequer's recent announcement of a National Living Wage of £9 an hour by 2020 (The Tablet, 5 September), will probably not be a pay rise for many.
Osborne's wage lacks any commitment to the minimum incomes standards research about the weekly costs of necessities like food and fuel, and participation in the community, which underpins the well established living wage, already £9.15 an hour for London and £7.85 an hour for the rest of the UK.
Even £7.85 could be above £9 by 2020. Unfortunately Osborne'e wage was a sound bite and sound bites do not put food on the table.
Rev Paul Nicolson, London N17