Hammond's gaffe insults struggling families
Published Nov 19, 2017
Philip Hammond should "try telling young people and the unemployed in my
constituency that there are no unemployed people", UKIP's Treasury Spokesman has
suggested.
Jonathan Arnott MEP, who represents the North East of
England, where unemployment is the joint highest in the country, said:
"The Chancellor isn't exactly a newcomer to politics - he must have known
the significance of his words, but didn't immediately correct them in any way.
It's typical of the arrogance of a Conservative Party which claims credit for
job creation following the EU referendum - when in fact, a more competitive
pound is a bigger reason for the recent fall in unemployment.
"I meet people all the time who genuinely struggle to find employment;
it's Philip Hammond's job to help them not insult them. If he can't understand
the huge difficulties that persist for people in coastal communities, for young
people struggling to get on the career ladder, or for people across huge swathes
of the North and Midlands ravaged by the decades-long decline in our
manufacturing, then quite frankly he's in the wrong job. After a gaffe like
that, no matter what he says in the Autumn Budget on Wednesday, he won't be
trusted."
"We desperately need a Budget that will support small business growth,
and a Brexit that will allow us to regain control over our borders and our
fisheries. If we want to be a global leader post-Brexit, we need to roll up our
national sleeves and make our nation truly competitive in the long
run."
