‘Alarm bells ringing’

With alarm bells ringing over consumer confidence and falling car sales, Theresa May and her Conservative government’s continuing uncertainty on Brexit is harming jobs and investment,  Unite warned today (November 6).

The warning follows today’s speeches to the CBI by both prime minster Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. It also comes on the same day as monthly car figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed UK car sales declined by 12.2 per cent in October.

Echoing the Labour leader’s call for a Brexit that puts jobs and living standards first and an economy built on investment and long-term growth, Unite assistant general secretary Tony Burke said, “Jeremy Corbyn is right when he says working people must come first and that we need a Brexit that prioritises jobs and living standards.

“Theresa May’s Conservative ministers in stark contrast are alone in thinking that a ‘no deal’ Brexit would be good for the UK,” he added. “With a continued slump in new car sales, the economic alarm bells are ringing ever louder.

“Consumer and business confidence is seeping away as the government creates evermore uncertainty about our future relationship with the European Union.

“The only thing that the government seems certain of is uncertainty itself, which, in turn, is harming desperately needed investment, jobs and the future prospects of our young people.

“This growing investment strike by business, combined with the continuing wage squeeze is sucking money out of the economy, damaging jobs and people’s living standards.

“It is time for the government to heed the calls for certainty over Brexit which are becoming ever louder, from trade unions, business groups and the Labour party.

“The government must also make its rhetoric on an industrial strategy a reality by unleashing investment in much need infrastructure and focusing on long-term growth based on decent well paid jobs.”