A sham and a scam
Deputy Leader blasts failures on inequality
ANGELA Rayner has branded the Tories’ promise to level up the country a sham and a scam.
Labour’s Deputy Leader said Rishi Sunak had failed to boost left-behind areas, which now have hollowed-out public services and transport.
Telling The Mirror about the Government department headed by Michael Gove as Levelling Up Secretary, she said: “Levelling up has been a sham and a scam.
“I think they identified a problem, which is absolutely correct, the regional inequalities... which we’ve seen actually get worse under the Conservatives.”
Instead, she said, the scheme had left councils being forced to fork out millions in bids to compete for “pots of money”.
Labour analysis also found the gap in average earnings between London and other areas has grown in every region apart from the South West since 2010.
Asked why voters should trust Labour, she pointed to the work of the party’s mayors
If you’ve not got a job that secures hours, you can’t get on in life
ANGELA RAYNER ON ZERO-HOURS CONTRACTS
such as Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and London’s Sadiq Khan.
Today, launching Labour’s campaign for the local elections on May 2, Ms Rayner will outline plans to give local areas more power over transport, skills and planning, to boost economies.
If Labour wins power regional mayors will also be required by law under a new Take Back Control Act to draw up plans for how they will increase growth.
Ms Rayner said her New Deal for Working People would include a ban on zerohours contracts.
She said a Labour Government would introduce an Employment Bill in its first 100 days, adding: “We’ve had 14 years of insecure work now.
“If you’ve not got a job that secures your hours, or a secure contract, or you’re in terminal low pay, you can’t get on in life.
“You can’t get a mortgage, you can’t plan.” Of Mr Sunak declining to call a general election on May 2, she said: “He wants one last summer with his beloved helicopter.
“It’s time for change.”