Bethnal Green and Bow MP, Rushanara Ali, joined Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls at a Skills and Employment Workshop for young people at Queen Mary University in her constituency. The workshop aimed at progressing young people into work. The sessions provided an opportunity to learn about how to develop the skills, networks and confidence required for employment.

Rushanara and Ed discussed the high levels of youth unemployment across UK and the Government’s failure to take action to address this problem.

Rushanara said:

“I was delighted that Ed Balls was able to come and speak to so many young people in my constituency about the challenges they are facing. Ed and I were both impressed by the enthusiasm and determination they expressed about their desire to find work and make a contribution to society. The current labour market is a bleak place and youth unemployment has increased by more than 100% in the past year. The Government must listen to the millions of young people who want a job but who are not receiving the much-needed support that they deserve.

“As the latest unemployment figures have shown, the Conservative-led coalition has yet to come up with real plan for economic recovery and is still failing to help young people live up to their ambitions and find work. Another increase in long-term youth unemployment is an absolutely dismal result at a time when we should have been seeing an improvement due to the Olympics. The reality of this is yet more young people being left behind, and more wasted talent and aspiration. The Government needs to step up to their responsibilities to our young people and come up with a real plan to deliver jobs and growth for everyone.”

They also spoke at the event of Labour’s plan to introduce a tax on bankers’ bonuses to fund a ‘Real Jobs Guarantee’ to help young people who have been long-term unemployed into work.