Third, it created a merit-pay system in which teachers whose pupils pass certain exams get bonuses.

ECONOMIST: Conservative education reform

This opinion is supported by long-term research published recently in the United States, which tracked a sample of academics who had worked within a merit-pay system.

BBC: Performance pay 'doomed to fail'

In his report into police pay and conditions last year, Mr Winsor called for the abolition of a series of allowances and special payments and for a pay system that recognised hard work and merit instead of long service.

BBC: UK Politics