The government have announced that the minimum wage for over 21 year olds is set so rise in October of this year from £6.50 to £6.70. This is roughly in line with inflation and has disappointed many who were expecting a higher increase to £7 per hour.

The other political parties are now setting out their policies of which Labour is stating that they would increase the minimum wage to £8 per hour by the year 2020 and the Liberal Democrats are setting out plans to make people on minimum wage tax exempt.

The Green party have expressed that they would immediately raise the minimum wage to meet the living wage level and further increase to £10 per hour by 2020. They also wish to abolish the age differentials between minimum wage levels meaning that everyone over the age of 16 would be entitled to the full minimum wage.

The common policy between all the parties seems to be an increase in minimum wage levels, just of varying degrees and with different conditions attached to the increase.