Liam Byrne MP, Labour's Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting ahead of the Tory-led Government’s announcement of its preferred bidders for their Work Programme, said:
“Unemployment has now hit a 17 year high and the benefits bill is soaring by over £12 billion.
“This government’s failure to get people back to work is now costing families a fortune because its forcing cuts in tax credits and children’s benefits.
“After a budget that put 200,000 more on the dole, this Work Programme has its work cut out.
“Most people will be really worried that this thinned down programme is simply not enough to get Britain back to work.”
Now THAT is an understatement!
Already firms in the welfare to work sector are setting up to shed jobs. Redundancy notices have been distributed in some organisations (A4e have given all their staff notice) and more will follow. By 1st June the sector will have lost hundreds of quality staff so Grayling can sit smugly in Whitehall, chuntering over the finer points of Tory ideology with Iain Duncan Smith.
It is a disgrace and the shame of these job losses will be laid fully on the shoulders of these hateful people. How can they legitimately say they want to get people back to work, when they take away the jobs of those who work in that sector?
Byrne should have been far more vocal defending jobs. If we can't depend on the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to support staff in the sector, then who can we trust?
He must make a statement - and soon - defending jobs and supporting small firms in the sector who will suffer whilst the fat cats and big companies cream off the riches on this new contract.
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