Economic growth for everyone, Crawley Observer Column, Wednesday 16th October 2024

“The economy, stupid” that was how Bill Clinton’s campaign manager summed up his key 1992 campaign message. In truth, look into the detail and almost every election tends to be about the state of the economy, it was certainly the focus of the Labour Party’s General Election campaign this year.

14 years of economic incompetence left families poorer and public services on the brink of financial collapse, meaning that for the new Labour Government the priority is a return to the kinds of growth not seen since…well, since the last Labour Government. That goal rests at the heart of the tough decisions which are currently being taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

For all the cynicism, it seems to be working. On Friday, the Office for National Statistics announced that the UK is back into economic growth, which was then followed on Wednesday by the news that Government’s International Investment Summit had attracted a record-breaking £63bn of new investment in the national economy.

That all sounds great, but for growth to mean anything it needs to improve the lives of the British public in general, which is why alongside opening the UK’s economy for business, Labour are delivering the biggest improvements in your rights at work in a generation.

Moved within the first 100 days, the New Deal for Working People seeks to undo the conditions which have seen a growth in exploitative working practices and declining real wages. Amongst its provisions are employment rights from day one, ending fire and rehire practices, requiring those on zero-hours contracts to be able to gain guaranteed hours if they want them, ensuring people can access flexible working where they need it, delivering a minimum wage which reflects the cost of living, and creating the enforcement body required to guarantee that these rights are honoured.

Taken in combination these measures represent a huge step forward for the country, not only in creating an economy which delivers significant economic growth again, but growth which actually delivers for the British people. As an MP, I’m proud to be a part of making it happen.