If that is what the government can afford then yes it is - why should this be any different from a commercial enterprise which incidentally is actual funding the increase.

Is it OK to award pay increases if productivity drops - a simple yes or no to both questions will do nicely

It would appear Mrs May has learned nothing - why is she so afraid of engaging with other humans on a human level?

These are people who have lost everything including - in some cases - family members why is she so afraid of getting some well deserved flack!!

Time the Tories discarded this robot for someone who has empathy with and can engage with fellow humans

She's completely devoid of any social skills and looks thoroughly panicked when put in a position of having to engage with anyone other than pre-approved Tory stooges. Everything from her facial expressions to her body language is just plain awkward.

The best description I've seen of her so far is 'a baby giraffe who's been dressed at Oxfam'.

Doesn't empathy go against the whole Tory ideology?

Unless empathy and selfish are the same thing, it will be a long wait.
Mrs May has spouted hot air about fair society for months but, they are just empty words.
Nobody knows what she actually thinks because it seems to change with each day of the week but, she is lacking any attribute that you would want from a leader.
No conviction, no principles, no leadership and no bottle.

FWIW I dont think that Corbyn has got all of those attributes but, he does seem to have some principles (even if I dont agree with some of them).

Everyone knows that she has to go, it's just a matter of time and delaying getting rid isn't helping anyone.

There are MPs in both parties Brown hardly did himself any favours in 2010

Completely agree - she has to go and soon - no spine whatsoever

As my unlikely new hero MC Saskilla said during an interview with Victoria Derbyshire the other day: "Theresa May doesn’t care about the mandem, she don’t care about the gyaldem, she don’t care about the under privilege, she don’t even care about black people, she don’t care about nobody, let’s be real."

Although I'd amend it slightly - what she cares about is clinging on to power at, it appears, any cost - including the tentative peace in Northern Ireland. Her own MP's are now having to defend and justify her robotic incompetence - and they won't put up with that for long, as the Tories hate weakness; she'll be gone before conference.

On point 2, I agree.

On point 1, I dont know if you are being deliberately daft or, whether you understand how local government in funded ?
The only way for local government to increase it's income is from local council tax or government grants, they aren't selling chocolate bars that they can increase the price or, make the bar smaller or, put out a 3 for 2 offer.
Their revenue comes from me and you and if we dont adequately fund our local services and reward the staff properly, what will happen to those services ?
Yes they can alway manage costs a little better and maximise the efficiency of their various departments, just like any other business but, then what ?
We've had the brakes on for the last 7 years, how much longer do you want to reduce the living standards of those who work in these organisations or should they employ people who cant find work elsewhere and are just "happy" to have a job.

I think you don't understand productivity - productivity isn't an increase in revenue its a way of doing the same with less resource or doing more with the same resource. This country has one of the lowest productivity rates in the EU perhaps if we increased our productivity the brakes would be released - just a thought?

Agreed - she cannot last behaving the way she is.

So Jeremy Corbyn went to visit the people who live around Grenfell as did the Queen, but Theresa 'Robot' May wont. Is this really the kind of person who wants the best for our country?