Tories dismiss drop in unemployment and demand action on ‘youth jobs emergency’
Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith has dismissed today’s fall in unemployment figures and said ministers need to focus on a “youth jobs emergency”.
He told GB News: “We’ve seen vacancies fall to their lowest level for 12 years. Remember, we’ve got a youth jobs emergency, and young people can’t get a job if there are no vacancies for them. But we’ve also seen that public sector wages are running at 6% growth.
“They’re getting nice pay rises. That’s all very good, but in the private sector, it’s only half that at 3%. So that public sector pay gap, the slightly cosseted life sometimes of those in the public sector, Labour’s friends, the trade unions, they’re doing all right. The hardworking taxpayer, people are getting up, probably already at work this morning, they’re not having such a good time of it.
“So as ever, the results I can see are a little bit mixed. But I don’t think these are good figures. I don’t think the Chancellor should be high-fiving himself. And of course, it sets us up for a Budget where we can’t have a business as usual, do nothing, kick the can down the road Budget.
“We need real action on defence. We need the Chancellor to stop maxing out the nation’s credit card, building up the deficit, charging everybody more interest in future, and action on that youth jobs emergency.”
On the prospect of an early general election, he said: “Oh, look, bring on an election. This government is doing real damage to our economy. It also has no respect for our culture, our history, our pride.
“Bring an election on, because I think already after two and a half years, the British people have absolutely got the measure of this government. And changing the guys at the top won’t make any difference. No one’s talking about Labour reversing all of the damage that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves did, so we will be ready.
“We will have brilliant candidates, many of them like myself, with a background in business, serious people, a united party that’s ready to get on and try and fix the economy, try and make our country stronger again.”
Asked if he thought that mass migration had played a role in the unrest in France, Griffith said: “Look, I’m sure that is a factor. I’m not an expert in domestic French politics, but you’ve got to give people hope and opportunities. When people have a job, when they’ve got a stake in society, they don’t take to the streets.
“As Shadow Chancellor, someone who thinks every day about how we get our economy working better, delivering better outcomes for young people, it is precisely that. Let’s make sure that jobs are abundant.
“When I grew up, it was easier to get a job. It was easier actually to get a foot on the housing ladder. It was easier to rent a property because the government didn’t over-regulate the private rented sector and reduce supply.”
