Boris: Build Back Starts Now !

‘Big, bold decisions’ will benefit all as PM welcomes rise in wages across Britain

- David Maddox

BORIS Johnson vowed to take “big, bold decisions” to ensure every part of the country emerges stronger from the pandemic.

He said wages were rising for the first time in a decade, adding: “We didn’t go through Covid to go back to how things were before. Build Back Better means we want things to improve as we recover.”

His Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke predicted the recovery will “exceed expectations”.

As the Prime Minister faced the most important Tory Party conference of his career, Mr Johnson said pay was on the up across Britain – “fundamentally a good thing” – and promised the UK would become a “well-paid, well-skilled, highly productive economy”.

He said: “For the first time in a decade we are seeing wages going up around the country.

“Wages are going up faster for those on lower incomes. That is what we mean by levelling up.

“What the UK shouldn’t be doing is to continue to try to be a low-wage, low-skills, low-productivity economy.”

He added, during a visit to Leeds General Infirmary: “People don’t want that. They want us to be a well-paid, well skilled, highly productive economy and that’s where we’re going.”

Polling by Opinium last night showed the Tories have now extended their lead over Labour by one point, to 39 per cent versus 35 per cent.

Mr Johnson faces his party today with a backdrop of the fuel crisis – and growing fears for winter supplies. There is also a hunger from veteran and recent Tory MPs alike for the PM to reveal his plans and for a return to traditional party values.