Unemployment fears.

Former PM uses Labour conference speech to call for Ukwide recovery plan

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is risking “mass unemployment” unless there is an urgent rethink of the Covid recovery plan, Gordon Brown has warned.

The former Labour prime minister used his first keynote party conference speech for 10 years to call on the government to deliver “within days” a new, wholly rewritten economic recovery plan.

He called for ministers to extend the furlough scheme beyond October 31, provide a fully-funded work guarantee for all young people who need it and deliver a Green New Deal.

Speaking to Labour Connected yesterday afternoon, Mr Brown highlighted “frightening” job application figures showing that some job vacancies are attracting 2,500 applications for just one position.

“These are the worst odds against finding a job for 50 years,” he said.

Mr Brown also expressed concern

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These are the worst odds against finding a job for 50 years. GORDON BROWN

that even after the Black Lives Matter campaign, “black jobs don’t seem to matter to this government, as Bame unemployment heads up to 20%”.

He also warned that youth unemployment could rise to 30%, and to as high as 50% among 18-19-year-olds .

Mr Brown signalled only through “co-operation and solidarity” would all parts of the UK be able to deliver what is needed and the success of the new restrictions will depend on the level of government support, especially for those who have to stay at home.

And in a direct call to SNP ministers in Edinburgh, he said Scotland should also be leading in a Uk-wide Alliance for Full Employment to secure jobs and social justice for all.

Mr Brown said that all of these necessary and urgent measures required the “politics of co-operation, not separation” to be delivered for the UK as a whole.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard backed Mr Brown’s calls and said: “In Scotland, almost 350,000 workers are facing a furlough cliff-edge next month – and this could lead to long-term unemployment on a scale the people of Scotland have not seen in their lifetimes.

“Scottish Labour has been advocating a Jobs Guarantee Scheme since the economic impact of Covid-19 became clear.”

Picture: Andrew Cawley. Gordon Brown said the UK urgently needs an economic recovery plan.