Sunak’s public sector pay boost is not as generous as it looks

The announcement was full of holes, writes James Moore – there’s no extra money to fund them

There’s a lot of devil in the detail beyond favourable headlines (AP)

There are lies and damned lies and then there’s government spin, which, when one considers the pay rises announced for nearly 900,000 public sector workers, has been positively dizzying.

In his public statements, the chancellor has framed them as a reward for the “vital contribution to our country” made over the past few months.

The reality is somewhat different and, as ever with these announcements, there’s a lot of devil in a lot of detail beyond the favourable headlines generated by Rishi Sunak’s spin.