Lib Dems & Labour attack the Tories over 'meaningless' job creation plans

The Liberal Democrats have branded the Conservative party's job creation plans as "totally meaningless". The Lib Dems claim that the Tories aim is to allow company bosses fire workers at will.

The Liberal Democrats say they already know what a Conservative jobs plan looks like. In government the Lib Dems claim they blocked the Conservatives allowing businesses to fire workers at will. They now plan savage cuts for the working age poor only to the benefit of very wealthy pensioners. 

A Lib Dem spokesman commented: "In government we secured over 2m new apprentices, record low unemployment, a record increase in the minimum wage, and transparency on the pay gap between men and women. Only the Liberal Democrats will create a stronger economy and a fairer society, delivering more jobs, more apprentices and fairer pay."

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Rachel Reeves, also criticising the Conservative proposals said: "Re-heated and empty announcements from David Cameron will mean little to working people whose wages are on average £1600 a year lower. The government’s failure on low pay has seen a 44 per cent rise in the number of people paid less than a living wage under David Cameron. It’s time for the Tories to come clean about how working families, children and disabled people will be hit by their secret plan to cut £12billion from the social security budget."

"A Labour government will raise the minimum wage to £8 an hour, invest in skills, cut business rates for small firms, give tax rebates to firms who pay a living wage, boost apprenticeships and ban exploitative zero hours contracts. Ms Reeves added.