The Constituency of Durham North West

In an earlier post I highlighted jobs as an election issue and attempted to get a response from each of our candidates.

Hilary Armstrong has responded on her campaign website.

The news release follows:

Hilary Armstrong has revealed new figures showing that 2830 people in North West Durham have been helped back into work with the New Deal. The General Election gives the British people a clear choice: the New Deal scrapped and back to the bad old days of 3 million on the dole with the Tories; or forward to the future, investing in skills and jobs, with Labour.

Labour's Hilary Armstrong said:

"With more people in work than ever before, Conservative plans to scrap the New Deal can only be described as sheer madness. I'm proud that Labour's New Deal has ended the mass unemployment that blighted Britain when Michael Howard and his Thatcherite friends were last running the show.

"In North West Durham, over 2830 people have got back into work through the New Deal. Both the Tories and the Lib Dems are pledged to dump the New Deal. They would take us back to the bad old days of economic failure and people being paid to remain on the dole without any help to get back into work or training.

"Record numbers of people in work has meant big savings on unemployment benefits. And that's freed up extra cash to go straight into Labour's number one priority - our public services.

"I believe people in North West Durham deserve every chance to make the most of their skills and that's why Labour are the only party who will take North West Durham forward at the election, not back to the bad old days of long term unemployment under the Tories."

Now I don't know if I was just lucky and asking the question 2 days before a planned release..but its a slight victory to the small guy.

I will update my older post with the Libdem policy on jobs, and then do an indavidual post if I get any official response.

The new deal and employment does not effect me in anyway, I work outside the constituency and doubt that the New Deal would help me if I was ever unemployed.

Think for my next "issue" I will try and pick something that effects my life in the constituency. (Council Tax is a good one ;-))