Five year pledge on minimum wage

The Prime Minister today pledged to increase the national minimum wage every year for the next five years.

Gordon Brown told Labour's conference that when the statutory rate increases on Thursday, it will be 60 per cent higher than when it started a decade ago.

He won loud applause from delegates and union officials at the Brighton conference when he announced the pledge.

The minimum wage for adults will increase by 7p an hour to £5.80 on Thursday, while the rate for 18 to 21-year-olds will go up from £4.77 to £4.83.

The minimum hourly wage for 16 and 17-year-olds will increase from £3.53 to £3.57.