𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The Deputy Prime Minister was dubbed “left behind Lammy” as he was forced to defend Labour’s economic record in the House of Commons. David Lammy was mocked as he stood in for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during PMQs, who is on a visit to China hoping to agree trade agreements. And Mr Lammy found himself in the firing line as, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves sat next to him, he was told to explain why unemployment has risen under Labour.

Figures earlier this month showed the UK unemployment rate was 5.1%, and 1.84 million people over 16 are unemployed- up by around 280,000 over the last year. And Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffiths said younger people were particularly hard hit, thanks to Labour’s decisions including increasing National Insurance contributions for employers, and the mininum wage. He said: “You can feel the Deputy Prime Minister’s frustration. The Prime Minister’s away. The Business Secretary’s away. And here is is, left behind Lammy, the designated survivor, having to defend the indefensible.”

Figures earlier this month showed the UK unemployment rate was 5.1%, and 1.84 million people over 16 are unemployed- up by around 280,000 over the last year.

Mr Griffiths said: “Under Labour, businesses can’t afford to hire. One in six young people can’t find a job.

“This government is blocking people who just want to get on in life.”

And he went on to mock Labour over the decision, backed by Sir Keir, to block Greater Manchester Mayor from standing for Parliament, which has sparked a vicious civil war within the party.

Mr Griffiths said: “Ambitious people like Andy in Manchester, having his dreams crushed by Labour.”

Mr Lammy said Labour was backing employers, and said Mr Griffiths had supported former Tory Prime Minister Liz Truss, whose “mini-budget” had damaged the economy.

Conservatives said minimum wage and business-rate rises were barriers to young people getting on the career ladder, after figures this month showed youth unemployment had hit a post-lockdown high.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed the rate has increased since the previous quarter, up from 12.0%.

Youth unemployment is at its highest in five years, after it peaked at 14.0% in July-September 2020 during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) minister Baroness Smith of Malvern vowed to support employers to take on young people, including with subsidised roles for 18 to 21-year-old universal credit claimants who have been unable to find work for 18 months, a scheme known as the Youth Guarantee.

“Businesses are clear that the Employment Rights Act, the Government’s minimum wage rules and spiralling business rates are the direct causes of young people being kept out of the labour market,” Lady Stedman-Scott said.

“We can only solve this problem by enabling business to create jobs.”

Young people aged between 18 and 20 will see an 85p rise in their minimum wage from April, bringing it to £10.85. The national living wage for employees aged 21 and over will rise by 50p, to £12.71.

A revaluation exercise has left businesses in England facing an average 19.4% rise in their rateable values – the figure which is used to calculate business rates – according to Valuation Office Agency (VOA) statistics.