Parliament voted on the Queen's speech this week.
The Queen's speech is the legislative agenda for next Parliament. The vote on the Queen's speech needs to pass unamended as this is a confidence vote in the Government. All MPs in any government party must support the confidence votes (Queens speech, budget etc) otherwise the Government will fall.
The Labour party put up an amendment to the Queen's Speech in order to try and block the Government's legislative agenda. The amendment was regarding public sector pay. This is a very important issue, however, the amendment brought forward by the Labour Party would not have resulted in a pay increase or any changes to public sector worker pay.
This amendment was party political posturing, nothing more than a political "game" by the Labour Party. We will see a lot more of this in this Parliament. There is more MPs can do to explain this process to the electorate.
MPs who voted against the amendment were ensuring the that the Government can now get on with the business of Government - which is what people want the Government to do and which is what the Government was elected to do. To have voted any other way would have risked another general election.
I am supportive of public sector workers and the great work that they do. I want to see a proper debate around public sector pay, pensions and jobs and to consider how a pay increase would be funded as well as how jobs can be protected. A pay increase would would be done in the budget or through a pay review board.
A strong economy enables improved public services and improved pay for public sector and private sector workers.
Our country needs stability and certainty at this time and which will in turn deliver a stronger economy. People want to get on with their lives and the last thing they want or need is another election.