Now the Tories foresee a “zero percent rise” of a different sort

When Brown comes to weigh up his prime ministerial legacy, maybe he’ll be satisfied that – if nothing else – he seems to have enshrined the idea of a “zero percent rise” in political discourse.  Here’s a passage from the Times article today on how the Tories plan to freeze the pay of local government workers:      

“Conservative town hall employers told The Times that ‘a zero rise’ for workers next year would be the ‘maximum’ that Tory councils would support.”

More seriously, the Times article indicates a toughening of the Tories’ stance towards the unions, and perhaps even over public spending cuts more generally (although Andrew Lansley does rather undermine that point).  It’s also a reminder of the entrenched opposition the next government will face as they take the measures necessary to tackle Brown’s debt mountain.