TODAY, 1.3 million of the lowest paid working people in Britain, aged 25 or over, will get a direct pay rise.

The new National Living Wage will start at £7.20 an hour, and is expected to rise to £9 an hour by 2020. It means that those currently on the minimum wage working 35 hours a week will see their pay rise by £4,200 over the next four years.

And so as well as creating over 2.3 million more jobs since 2010, we’re helping people keep more of the money they earn by increasing their pay, keeping council tax down and cutting income tax.

This is all part of a plan that is honouring our commitments to the British people to deliver a higher wage, lower welfare, lower tax country that finally lives within its means. It's a modern, compassionate Conservative government in action.