Rishi Sunak faces Tory backlash as MPs call for rethink on nurse pay

Several top Tories urge U-turn, as poll shows public support for striking staff remains strong

Rishi Sunak is facing a mounting backlash from Conservative MPs over NHS strikes and the government’s refusal to change its stance on nurses’ pay.

Downing Street said there were “no plans” to look again at the 4 to 5 per cent pay rise offer for nurses who are staging their biggest strike in the history of the NHS.

But several top Tories – including the influential ex-Tory chairman Sir Jake Berry, NHS hospital doctor Dan Poulter and health select committee chair Steve Brine – have called for a rethink.