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George Osborne backs minimum wage rise to £7 per hour

The minimum wage could rise to £7 an hour by 2015, Chancellor George Osborne has told the BBC. Osborne said the "economy can now afford" an above-inflation rise.

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Labour: George Osborne 'flailing around under pressure'

Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie said Chancellor George Osborne was "flailing around under pressure" but had made "no concrete announcement" on a minimum wage rise.

Earlier, Mr Osborne said Britain can afford a minimum wage increase and backed a rise to £7 per hour.

George Osborne is flailing around under pressure but he has made no concrete announcement about the level of the minimum wage. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls said last year that we need above inflation rises in the minimum wage in order to catch up the lost value over the last few years.

And both the Tories and Lib Dems voted against Labour’s motion yesterday which called for action to make this happen.

– Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Watch: Clegg stumbles after being asked what the minimum wage is

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George Osborne backs minimum wage rise to £7 per hour

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