BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw has entered the row over pay cuts for town hall workers and said low-paid staff had been left "humiliated".

But now the leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council has slammed the comments as he said Mr Straw's government had passed the legislation which had brought about the changes.

The job evaluation process requires councils to set up a new wage scale in a bid to ensure women are paid the same as men for the same level of job.

It has left 1,266 of the council's 5,800 staff facing salary cuts, including hundreds who already earn less than £15,000 a year, and unions are balloting for strike action.

Writing to council leader Colin Rigby, Mr Straw said losses should be phased in over five years, and that no wages should be cut by more than 10 per cent.

The Justice Minister claimed low-paid staff had been left "humiliated" by being told to agree to the changes or face the sack.

And Mr Straw told the Lancashire Telegraph: "I have always acknowledged that this is a difficult issue, whoever is in charge. But I do think more should be done for the low paid.

"I never pretended this could be done in an entirely pain-free way, but I do believe that the pain suffered could be much reduced."

Mr Straw admitted he had talked about the matter "in great length" with Labour councillors but denied he was getting involved for political reasons.

He said: "The principle reason for my intervention is that I have had a significant number of people contacting me. They are concerned and they want to know what I would do and they want some public support."

But Coun Rigby claimed Mr Straw's comments were politically motivated.

He said: "It's all right rabbiting on, but he's not being honest about his part in passing the legislation and about the economics of the situation."