Labour politicians start fight for jobs
LABOUR politicians and mayors across the UK have formed an alliance to fight for economic recovery policies to prevent job losses.
The Alliance For Full Employment is led by Welsh First Minster Mark Drakeford, metro mayors Andy Burnham (Manchester), Steve Rotheram (Liverpool), James Driscoll (Newcastle), Dave Jarvis (Sheffield) and Marvin Rees (Bristol).
Among the measures they are calling for are a fully-funded youth guarantee of jobs, training or employment.
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is supporting the initiative, called for all national institutions to focus on job creation, including the Bank of England, which he says should target low unemployment.
A joint statement from the mayors and First Minister of Wales said: “The biggest economic issue of our times is high levels of unemployment.
“Recognising the need for working together – locally, regionally and nationally – to deal with the current jobs emergency and the need for good employment that is well paid and fulfilling, we want to work with colleagues in every region and nation of the UK.
“We want to support an Alliance for Full Employment to mobilise all the resources of the United Kingdom to end the recession and create good-quality jobs.”
Mr Brown said: “The democratic part of our constitution is no longer just MPs and local councillors but directly-elected regional mayors and elected decision-making bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“By coming together and linking up the power of the regions around Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff and London to create an Alliance for Full Employment, they can force the Prime Minister to listen.
“A strong, broad-based UK-wide alliance, encompassing trade unions and businesses, can not only press him on the economy but also revive the solidarity and spirit of co-operation and unity our country desperately needs.
“Instead of the stand-off between Scotland and the UK, I want to emphasise co-operation, shared values and common ground that exists between the nations and regions.
“Having been the Chancellor responsible for the Bank of England Act 22 years ago, I am disappointed that while obligations for employment are included in its statutory objectives, the Bank of England does not place greater emphasis on maximising employment.”
Mr Brown said austerity, which he believed was always the wrong policy, now makes even less economic sense.
Mr Rotheram said: “Coronavirus has presented us with a series of massive economic challenges, chief amongst them being a looming crisis in unemployment as the furlough scheme draws to a close next month.
“Without continued support from national government, some sectors – and the many thousands of jobs reliant on them – will struggle to survive.”
Mr Drakeford said: “Coronavirus is the biggest public health and economic emergency of our time and is placing an enormous strain on our NHS, our public services and our daily lives.
“In these difficult and testing moments it’s important that we work together across the four nations to tackle the virus and, together, build a fairer and greener society for future generations.”