In last November's Autumn Statement, chancellor, George Osborne declared the Government's intention to move civil service national pay towards regional pay frameworks.

Mr Osborne later sent letters to the chairmen of various pay boards – including those for the armed services, teachers, prison officers, doctors and NHS workers – asking them to draw up proposals for reform by July. Underpinning Mr Osborne's epistle was the argument that regional wage differentials damaged private companies forced to compete with higher public sector salaries, contributed to a ‘postcode lottery' for service quality, and reduced the number of jobs the public sector could sustain for any given level of funding.