May slams Labour for axing employment programmes

Theresa May has attacked Labour for shutting down employment programmes across half the country.

From today, there will be no new referrals to Labour’s flagship employment programme – the New Deal – in half of Britain.

The move is part of Labour’s plans to run down existing New Deal provision this summer in areas where they plan to introduce a reformed version of the New Deal, the flexible New Deal.

HOWEVER, the flexible New Deal is not due to be introduced until October and there are concerns that delays in awarding the contracts will leave an even bigger gap in provision.

Theresa, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, accused the Government of failing to provide a proper response to the unemployment crisis:

“It is utterly outrageous that when Britain is facing the highest levels of unemployment in decades the Government is cutting the help available to people trying to get back into work.”

She stressed, “Labour were caught sleepwalking on the job when unemployment began to rise, and now they are left struggling to catch up with events. It is Britain’s unemployed who are paying the price.”