Royal College of Nursing rejects government pay offer and announces new strike – as it happened

Nurses strike outside London’s St Thomas’ hospital in February. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

5.31pm BST

Afternoon summary

• Nurses in England will go back out on strike for two days later this month after rejecting the government’s pay deal.

• Civil service unions in the UK have warned of a fresh wave of industrial action, after the government announced that pay rises would be limited to 4.5% to 5%, in a move dismissed by union leaders as “insulting”.

• Conservative MPs with wafer-thin margins who pulled off shock victories in the 2019 election will be allowed to stand in other seats after the party designated them “displaced”.

5.30pm BST

This is from Shaun Lintern, health editor at the Sunday Times.

Ministers are adamant that 5% is their ceiling on public sector pay deals - can that really hold with rolling nurses and junior doctor strikes? A grim few months ahead if you're waiting for NHS treatment or appointments: #NHSStrikes https://t.co/S8VItQtxDV

— Shaun Lintern (@ShaunLintern) April 14, 2023