Reverse austerity call

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner agreed with shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, today (November 15) when McDonnell urged the government to take concrete steps to bring shared prosperity to all, including an end to austerity, long-term investment to create secure, well-paid jobs as well as tax system reform, so the richest pay and the rest don’t shoulder the burden.

“Immediately reversing cuts to ESA and Universal Credit – which have left a large swath of people who are already struggling thousands of pounds worse off each year – ending the public sector pay cap and raising the minimum wage should be priorities in next week’s Autumn Statement.

“The chancellor Phillip Hammond has already admitted that the austerity policies of the last Tory government have failed when he spoke of a ‘reset’ last month. Let’s now see what actions the government will take.”

Steve Turner, Unite assistant general secretary

Stay tuned next week for UNITElive’s exclusive coverage of the Autumn Statement, when the chancellor will outline the government’s future economic plans.