News / Politics
Ed Balls visit Airbus in Filton
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls and shadow secretary for work and pensions Rachel Reeves visited Airbus in Filton on Monday to unveil Labour’s economic plan.
Kingswood parliamentary candidate Jo McCarron opened proceedings with some insight into the local effects of spending squeezes and particularly the problem of wages not rising proportionately to living costs.
“This is a real problem in Kingswood,” she said. “With almost 50 percent of working people in Kingswood being paid below the living wage. That’s the highest proportion of low paid people in the UK.”
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Balls and Reeves then spoke in turn to reveal their party’s plans, which include a promise to get minimum wage up to £8 per hour by 2020, plus a total ban on zero hour contracts.
However, what could prove to be the biggest and most immediate change for the South West if Labour are voted in at the next election is a plan to devolve power away from Whitehall and back into regional bodies with an elected mayor, talking about the possibility of a “South West powerhouse”.
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