HARLOW MP Robert Halfon has hailed the introduction of the National Living Wage as a “deserved pay rise” for the people of Harlow

From Friday workers aged 25 and over who are not in the first year of an apprenticeship will be legally entitled to be paid at least £7.20.

That equates to a £20 a week pay rise for a full time worker compared to the National Minimum Wage.

More than one million people across the country are expected to benefit directly from the change. The National Living Wage is set to rise to £9 an hour by 2020.

“Harlow deserves a pay rise and I’m very proud to be part of a Conservative Party that is delivering the higher-wage, lower-tax, lower-welfare economy we all want to see,” said Mr Halfon.

“There are now more people in work than ever before, with 31.4 million people in employment, and the National Living Wage will give more families in Harlow the security of a decent, regular pay.”