Proponents of a higher minimum wage in Britain received a major boost in the latest issue of the IRS Employment Review, from the revelation of serious flaws in data provided to Britain’s Low Pay Commission by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). According to Commission member, London School of Economics industrial relations professor, and leading British minimum wage expert David Metcalf, the data from the ONS---which has received much criticism for inaccuracy in recent years---caused the government to establish a lower national minimum wage than it should have. In order to correct for the establishment of a minimum wage that has left millions in poverty according to union leaders, Mr. Metcalf implied that he will push for the government to raise the minimum wage from the current $6.66 to $7.13---a move that the Confederation of British Industries has indicated is acceptable to business interests.
See DAVID TURNER, Financial Times, November 10, 2002