Fighters and Believers (Video)

Unemployment Falls

Figures out today reveal a drop in unemployment.

The action we are taking in the Labour Party is working. The Tories would cut support to the economy now – choking off recovery and putting more people out of work.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper said:

“The jobs market is still tough for a lot of people, but the drop in unemployment and youth unemployment is very welcome. It means 450,000 fewer people are out of work than everyone expected last spring.”

We’ve made the right choices – helping people into work through our guarantees to young people and expanding support from Jobcentre Plus. The rate of job losses in this recession has been four times less than if the experience of the 1990s had been repeated.

Today’s figures published by ONS Statistics show a 7,000 drop in the ILO measure of unemployment, a 15,000 drop in the claimant count and a 7,600 drop in the youth claimant count in December.

Unemployment is still expected to rise again before the summer – but the Tories refuse to support our action and they threaten to choke off recovery by cutting support to the economy now.

The Biggest Expansion of Wind Energy Ever under Labour

The Labour Government have announced plans for the biggest expansion of wind energy ever seen.

Britain is already the world leader in offshore wind energy. And today, the Crown Estate, owner of the UK’s coastal seabeds, has granted rights to energy companies to bring about the biggest expansion of wind energy ever seen in the world. This opens up the potential for up to 6,400 offshore wind farms, generating 32GW – far exceeding previous plans.

Investment in UK offshore wind overall could be worth £75 billion and support up to 70,000 jobs by 2020.

While the Labour government is committed to taking an active role in creating green jobs and long-term sustainable growth, across the country Conservatives oppose new wind power proposals.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:

“Our island has one of the best wind energy resources in Europe and today’s news shows that there’s a huge appetite for capacity to be built here. We now need to make sure we’re poised to harness the potential that appetite brings for business for UK companies and new green jobs. We did it before with oil and gas in the North Sea and we’ll do it again for offshore wind.”

Parents need policies not platitudes from David Cameron

Dawn Primarolo MP, Labour’s Children and Families Minister said:

“Parents need policies not platitudes from David Cameron. Families in Britain don’t just want warm words, they deserve to know exactly what David Cameron would do to support them.

“David Cameron has refused to protect funding for schools or Sure Start over the next three years. Instead he would cut £200m each year from Sure Start – a fifth of its budget – and take support away for families on modest and middle incomes. By contrast, Labour are determined to help all families and have already opened over 3,000 Sure Start Children Centres across the country.

“David Cameron still can’t explain how he would pay for a marriage tax allowance and even though research today shows tax credits play a vital role in cutting child poverty, David Cameron is set on cutting back this essential support.”

Labour Measures to Tackle Irresponsible Drinking

Labour’s Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, has announced new measures to tackle irresponsible drinking.

Measures announced today will include banning irresponsible promotions such as “all you can drink” offers, ensuring free tap water is available for customers and requiring all those who sell alcohol to check the ID of anyone who looks under 18

A nationwide consultation on the measures generated over 7,000 responses to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder, which costs the UK an estimated £8 billion to £13 billion a year.

Any premises that breach the new mandatory code could lose their licence.

Labour’s Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:

“Alcohol-related crime costs the UK billions of pounds every year and while the vast majority of retailers are responsible, a minority continue to run irresponsible promotions which fuel the excessive drinking that leads to alcohol-related crime and disorder.

“These practices have a real impact on society not to mention the lives of those who just want to enjoy a good night out. The government and the industry have a duty to act, this mandatory code will allow us to take action against an issue which affects us all.

“We have consulted extensively with the public and the alcohol industry to ensure that these conditions will only target the most irresponsible practices that most people agree should not happen anywhere

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