Labour-controlled Ipswich council has backed calls for an end to the 1% cap on wage increases for public sector workers.

This week’s meeting of the authority voted in favour of a motion from deputy leader Bryony Rudkin calling for the cap to be ended to be able to adequately reward public servants who had seen their real earnings fall dramatically during the years of austerity.

She said: “Look at those heroes from Grenfell Tower, from Manchester, and from Tower Bridge. They have been subjected to years of wage cuts in real terms as their earnings have not kept up with inflation.”

Opposition councillors questioned how wage increases would be paid for.

Former group leader Nadia Cenci said: “I would like to pay the armed services £100,000 for putting their lives at risk for the country, but we cannot afford that. If there were bigger wage rises there would be another 200,000 out of work.”