I've voted in every election since 1979. As it's a secret ballot my choices remain so. No offence but you may be confusing a lack of political opinion with an opinion that I know all the answers, which I certainly do not. Unlike some other posters?

Where do you get "about 5" from?

Sarcasm. But, the reality is that numbers of such staff are very small in relation to overall numbers on the payroll.

The reality – and the point – is that a relatively small increase in pay to the lowest-paid employees makes a positive benefit to the business as well as to the employee/s.

I appreciate that may be the case in some instances, although I doubt whether the well-being of a few kitchen porters will have any discernible impact on the overall results of a major accountancy and consultancy business.

IMO the main reason KMPG, Goldman Sachs and certain banks will have signed up - is that the cost to them will be negligible and its cheap publicity and positive PR.

And possibly mitigating the chance of a disgruntled KP pis[is[/iing in the brown windsor