THE level of nurses’ pay has caused temperatures to soar among Inverclyde politicians ahead of the general election.

Labour have criticised the SNP for refusing to lift a one per cent cap on salaries, but the SNP dismissed the comments as ‘political posturing’.

Labour’s candidate, Martin McCluskey and West of Scotland MSP Neil Bibby both slammed Greenock and Inverclyde SNP MSP Stuart McMillan for helping to vote down a Labour proposal at Holyrood to end the one per cent restriction.

Mr McCluskey said: “Our nursing staff at Inverclyde Royal Hospital and right across our community work so hard, sometimes under the greatest pressure. They deserve decent pay and conditions. Under the SNP, nurses are £3,400 worse off. It’s a disgrace.

“It is clear that the priority of the SNP in Inverclyde is not our NHS. Our MP has failed to speak out about the cuts to Inverclyde Royal Hospital, and our MSP has voted against giving Inverclyde’s hard working nurses the pay they deserve.”

Neil Bibby said Scotland’s nurses face a real terms pay cut of £3,400 over the past seven years.

Mr McMillan dismissed Labour comments as “nothing more than political posturing”.

He said: “The debate in the Scottish Parliament was yet another example of Labour wanting to spend money they know they don’t have, without any clear position as to where the money will come from.

“Every member wants to see more money going to our valued NHS staff, yet Labour proposing any old policy without actually finding the money to fund it is the cheapest of politics.

“If Labour want their party to be taken even remotely seriously, they can’t continue to simply make up the numbers as they go along.”