Labour refuses to commit to ending squeeze on public sector pay

Ed Balls says his plan to stick to coalition spending pledges may hit public sector workers and local council servicesEd Balls fought to counter the Conservatives’ “smear analysis” about Labour’s economic credibility by stressing he cannot commit his party to reversing the public sector pay freeze or scrapping council cuts in the first year after the election.The shadow chancellor spelled out the potentially unpopular consequences of his pledge not to spend more than the coalition h