Unemployment is, sadly, set to become one of the key challenges that the country faces over the next few months. Every independent forecaster says the jobless total will rise sharply in 2009, and though we very much hope that the forecasts prove too pessimistic, it seems pretty clear that things are going to get worse.
Over the next few weeks the Conservative Party will be setting out our vision about how we can get Britain working again, and ensure that the current situation is as short lived as possible. We will also do all we can to point people in the right direction to get the practical help that they need if they are unfortunate enough to lose their job.
To kick off our plans, members of the Shadow Cabinet are today holding Get Britain Working forums in major cities across the UK. From Plymouth to Edinburgh, members of our team will be meeting local people and organisations involved in both the business community and from groups who work with those who have lost their jobs. We are listening to their thoughts about what could be done differently, and setting out some of our own ideas about the things that can be done immediately to make a difference.
And we’ll be doing much more in the weeks ahead to do our bit.
( 5 comments ) Tags: Get Britain Working, Shadow Cabinet, unemployment
Comment by Kirk on January 6, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Unfortunately most of these forums only seem to talk to those who do not have the best experience of the real world to provide both practical and achievable solutions. All too often this is compounded by those listening only hearing what they want to hear.
Naturally I will be happy to share my thoughts on what needs to be done!
Comment by Colin on February 4, 2010 at 8:19 pm
The biggest problem i have found since being made redundant, is the pressure that job centers put on the unemployed who are going through further education to better themselves, to give up courses, to under take any pointless possition, just so that a goverment can shout that under them, the jobless figuer is falling. The whole system is un just and un fair, to the point i signed my self off as it was easier to find work, and continue with my studies. I have now passed and through determination i am slowley working towards a bright future, with the possibility of employing people myself. Left to the “system” i would now be un qualified and working in a super market stacking shelves. I know of one man who is at the moment under the threat of being made to quit his studies to work as anything just to remove him from the jobless figure. He has told me that he wants to open a shop of his own, which we all can see as growth, but no, the benifits system wants him to quitfor the good of the figures. I am lucky, i have worked all my life apart from a few days, i can say that after going through the appaling system with no heart, my views have changed. Help people to help them selves. Short term cost with long term benifets must be better for us all.
Comment by A. Normington on February 25, 2010 at 10:29 am
Unemployment seems to be the poor relation at the moment no one wants to even mention it or even tackle the issue are all politicians spineless wimps or havn,t they got a clue as to how to tackle unemployment, with 10 million people not working this should be at the top of every party’s agenda. If you want to cure the budget deficit you need people working or are politicians just happy in there cosy little jobs that they don,t care any more. With the fat cat banks lining there pockets and handing out big bonuses to there incompetent staff while not lending to struggling companies recovery is a long way off if nothing is done. Plus programmes like The day the immigrants left on the BBC on the 22.2.2010 that was a racist attack on the British workers are not helping matters in the slightest. If you want real answers to these very real problems then come and talk to me, as you may be surprised as to how easy it is to find a cure instead of pussy footing a round a bunch of arrogant bankers
Comment by John Wilson on March 15, 2010 at 6:53 pm
You need to understand ,our Job Centers are full of agencies , not Jobs . Any thing but English people , were are good enough to pay just not to be able to earn , 25 billion pounds the recruitment industry makes at a time when there are 2.5 milion unemployedl
Comment by Murray Booker on March 22, 2010 at 8:56 pm
I have just heard on the news that BAE lost the contract to supply tanks in favour of an American firm. That will result in BAE making another 500 people redundant.
In terms of reducing unemployment surely we could try and stop it in the first place, not to the extent that our firms are effectively subsidised by way of uncompetitive tendering, but the hidden unemployment costs are immense and surely must be taken into account.
I am and always have been a Tory supporter regardless of policy but like so many others, I am finding it really difficult to see how we can just let things like this happen.Please take a stand on this and you might be pleasantly surprised just how your support in the polls appreciates. Yes, concentrate on the marginals but stand for some of these fundamental issues that are ruining our country.