DON’T BODGE IT
Scots Labour big hitter in plea for Tory to help young people
GORDON Brown has issued a plea to save jobs in the UK Budget as he urged the Chancellor not to “balance his books on the backs of the poor or the unemployed”.
The former Labour PM said Rishi Sunak will have “failed in his duty to our country” if he does not come up with ambitious plans to help the young and the long-term unemployed.
Sunak will unveil his blueprint to restore the economy on Wednesday, when he is expected to “level with people” about the toll of the virus on finances.
He signalled yesterday that he intends to extend furlough and self-employment support until June – but did not rule out the prospect of tax hikes.
Brown said the Chancellor must boost jobs by encouraging a private sector recruitment drive and make it more attractive for public authorities to hire young people and the unemployed.
He urged Sunak to extend furlough and encourage firms to keep workers on and to slash payroll costs for firms adding new workers.
Brown said: “If the Red Box he takes to the Commons on Wednesday does not contain new and far more ambitious measures – and money – to help the young and long-term unemployed, he will have failed in his duty to our country.”
A report by the Alliance For Full Employment found 1000 under-25s in every constituency in Britain had been jobless for at least six months. He warned: “The Government’s failure to move quickly is condemning a whole generation of young people to joblessness and rejection”
And he slammed the prospect of cutting the temporary Universal Credit uplift, adding: “No Chancellor should ever try to balance his books on the backs of the poor or the unemployed.”
Meanwhile, in a Sky News interview, Sunak did not rule out tax hikes amid reports he plans to claw back £6billion by freezing income tax thresholds for three years. This would allow him to raise funds without breaking a pledge not raise income tax.
Sunak denied reports he had told Tory MPs he would increase taxes now in order to slash them in time for the next election. But he laid the ground for tax rises, saying: “If we don’t do anything borrowing will continue to be at very high levels.”