Labour North West

With you in tough times

The North West faces an 'unemployment emergency'

Liam Byrne MP, Labour's Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary, has warned that the North West faces an 'unemployment emergency'.

Liam Byrne made his warning during a visit to Merseyside on Thursday (January 19) - where he was campaigning for a better way to create jobs and economic growth after the latest labour market statistics showed the jobless total has hit a 17-year high. The total unemployed in the North West was 8.9 per cent, up 25,000 to 307,000.

New figures released by Labour, based on House of Commons Library research, show that since January 2011 long term youth unemployment has doubled in the North West. Last year North West job seekers allowance claimants, aged 18-24, claiming for over six months increased by 99 per cent from 8,155 to 16,225.

Liam - together with Sefton Council Leader Peter Dowd and Sefton Central MP Bill Esterson - met with trainees on the Sefton Coastal Rangers Placement programme and took part in a Q&A session at the Crosby Lakeside Aventure Centre.

Liam Byrne MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said:

"Last month Chris Grayling told us how the labour market was stabilising, but these figures now confirm we have an unemployment emergency.

"Unemployment has now soared to highest level for a generation and long term youth unemployment has more than doubled since January last year. In America, Germany and Japan unemployment is either flat or falling. This is new proof that the Government must change course.

"The Government’s welfare to work programmes are now clearly failing and the welfare bill is going through the roof.

"Tax rises and spending cuts that go too far and too fast have choked off the recovery and backfired. The Government is now set to borrow £158 billion more than planned – more than £6,500 for every household in the country. This isn’t borrowing to support the economy through difficult times, but a huge new bill for failure.

"The Government must change course and adopt Labour’s five point plan for jobs, including a tax on bankers’ bonuses to fund 100,000 jobs for young people and a temporary VAT cut to help people struggling with rising prices and kick-start the economy.

"Complacent and out of touch Ministers need to wake up to the jobs crisis they're responsible for and take urgent action now."

Labour has a plan to deliver growth in the North West. A clear five-point plan to create jobs, help struggling families and support small businesses.

For further information visit www.labour.org.uk/plan