News from Sheffield Labour

Sheffield Labour calls for Budget to address widening North/South divide

Sheffield Labour Group are calling on the Government to take action to promote jobs and growth in Sheffield and the north of England ahead of Wednesday’s budget.

The Institute for Public Policy Research has indicated that the north south divide in unemployment has continued to increase in recent months and the gap now equals its largest since the Labour Force Survey began in 1992. Labour are arguing that the Government must take action to address this by introducing measures to promote growth and jobs in our region.

In Sheffield City Council’s budget passed earlier this month, plans to double Labour’s Sheffield Apprenticeship Programme and to create a Keep Sheffield Working Fund were outlined to boost jobs in Sheffield.

Labour are calling on the Government to introduce such measures on a national level including investment in youth jobs to help 90,000 young people into work, providing additional investment for economic development into the Regional Growth Fund and to establish a fund to construct 25,000 homes across the country which would create 20,000 jobs.

Labour Leader of Sheffield City Council, Councillor Julie Dore said: “The Government have mismanaged the economy and are not taking the action needed to create growth in Sheffield and across the north of England.

“We are experiencing unemployment at its highest level in a generation, youth unemployment is at its highest level ever and people on middle and low incomes feeling the pinch. Instead of continuing their obsession with attacking the public sector, the Government should be boosting jobs and growth in Sheffield.

“This is especially important given that the gap in unemployment between the north and south is widening. We are committed to standing up for Sheffield to get a fair deal for our city by taking action, but we need the Government to act to help us develop growth industries in our region. They should invest in Sheffield and the north of England to do this, more of the same will not do, we need real action to boost growth.”

Other news from Sheffield Labour

• Angela Smith MP creates buzz about bee decline - 31 January 2013
• Commons votes for Polling Stations to remain open after 10pm - 29 January 2013
• Paul Blomfield MP challenges the Chancellor on his unfair cuts - 29 January 2013