Skip to main content
Gifts from The Morning Star
Inside Wetherspoon’s ‘low pay’ fringe meeting at Tory Party conference
Pub chain boss Tim Martin spoke at an event on lousy jobs alongside Esther McVey and Iain Duncan Smith, days before facing strike action by his own workers. SOLOMON HUGHES reports
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin

WORKERS at pub chain JD Wetherspoon joined crew from McDonald’s and TGI Friday’s and riders from UberEats this week for an unprecedented day of strike action.

It was a rebellion against low pay, zero-hours contracts, phoney self-employment and other abuses in the fast-food and service sector.

Earlier this week, one of the bigger meetings on the Conservative fringe, addressed by both Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey former work and pensions secretary and big man on the Tory right Iain Duncan Smith, considered the big question of “Is the Conservative Party making work pay?” 

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
More from this author
Google
Features / 3 October 2025
3 October 2025

The new angle from private firms shmoozing their way into public contracts was the much-trumpeted arrival of ‘artificial intelligence’ — and no-one seemed to have heard the numerous criticisms of this unproven miracle cure, reports SOLOMON HUGHES

TORY HIGH SOCIETY:  Sir John Ritblat
Features / 19 September 2025
19 September 2025

It is rather strange that Labour continues to give prestigious roles to inappropriate, controversy-mired businessmen who are also major Tory donors. What could Labour possibly be hoping to get out of it, asks SOLOMON HUGHES

Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks as he hosts a VJ Day commemorative reception in the garden of 10 Downing Street, London, August 14, 2025
Features / 5 September 2025
5 September 2025

Keir Starmer’s hiring Tim Allan from Tory-led Strand Partners is another illustration of  Labour’s corporate-influence world where party differences matter less than business connections, writes SOLOMON HUGHES

Defence Secretary John Healey (third left) and his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu (second left) view a long-range air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missile, during a visit to MDBA in Hertfordshire, July 9, 2025
Features / 22 August 2025
22 August 2025

MBDA’s Alabama factory makes components for Boeing’s GBU-39 bombs used to kill civilians in Gaza. Its profits flow through Stevenage to Paris — and it is one of the British government’s favourite firms, reveals SOLOMON HUGHES

Similar stories
CWU leader Dave Ward
TUC Congress 2025 / 8 September 2025
8 September 2025

CWU leader DAVE WARD tells Ben Chacko a strategy to unite workers on class lines is needed – and sectoral collective bargaining must be at its heart

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaking during a campaign event at Stafford Showground, Stafford, whilst campaigning for this week's local elections, April 30, 2025
Politics / 8 May 2025
8 May 2025

Reform’s rise speaks to a deep crisis in Establishment parties – but relies on appealing to social and economic grievances the left should make its own, argues NICK WRIGHT

Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to members of staff during a visit to Leonardo, a defence contractor in Luton, to launch UAS StormShroud into operational service, May 2, 2025
Features / 4 May 2025
4 May 2025

JOE GILL looks at research on the reasons people voted as they did last week and concludes Labour is finished unless it ditches Starmer and changes course

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves during a visit to
Features / 31 January 2025
31 January 2025
SOLOMON HUGHES examines how Labour has gone from blaming Tory deregulation for our economic woes to betting the nation's future on more of it