EAST Lancashire MP Gordon Prentice has won his battle to get the national minimum wage increased - but now wants to ensure it is raised annually.

Pendle's Labour MP led a backbench rebellion against the Government's intention to peg the £3.60 an hour salary for this year.

But following his intervention, it will now go up by 10p to £3.70 an hour with the lower rate for young people under 22 increasing by an inflation-busting 20p an hour from £3 to £3.20.

This is in line with the recommendations of the Government's Low Pay Commission but the rise will be introduced in October rather than June as the LPC suggested.

Mr Prentice and Hyndburn MP Greg Pope welcomed the increases.

But Mr Prentice was trying to force a vote at today's meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party on an annual increase.

He said: "It is great news for thousands of low paid workers in East Lancashire.

"But this increase alone is missing the point. We need to uprate the minimum wage automatically, annually.

"We want to take it out of politics. If we do not we could be outflanked on the issue by other parties. I don't want this annual test of will with the Government. "The National Minimum Wage was a massive achievement - we should celebrate it with an annual increase.

"It made huge difference in East Lancashire. In my constituency eight per cent of all adult workers got a pay boost because of it last April and a staggering 30 per cent of all women part-time workers got one as well. And employment in Pendle is still rising."

Mr Pope said: "I am pleased and everybody in East Lancashire will be."

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