PAY for bankers and insurance brokers has risen more than three times faster than wages for NHS key workers since the 2008 financial crash, new TUC analysis reveals today.

The shocking findings show the City of London has been largely unaffected by soaring inflation, while take-home salaries for nurses, midwives and paramedics have plummeted by tens of thousands of pounds, the union body stressed.

Its research shows that since 2008, when risk-taking financial institutions sparked one of the worst global recessions ever recorded, average pay across the financial services and insurance sectors has risen by 83 per cent — almost double the 43 per cent inflation rate over the same period.