A ‘wild experiment’ on UK

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey accused the chancellor of a ‘Frankenstein’ experiment that puts his ideological commitment to a surplus above the needs of the British people.

Responding to today’s (November 25) Comprehensive Spending Review, Len McCluskey said, “Like some economic Dr Frankenstein, George Osborne is conducting some wild experiment on the UK economy and the living standards of the British people.

‘Zeal not ideals’

“We have never before been in a place where a Chancellor will pursue a surplus for no evident economic gain.  This was a spending review that reflected his zeal not Britain’s ideals which will hurt businesses and people struggling to make ends meet.

“We heard nothing today from the Chancellor about action to save our manufacturing and steel industries which are the bedrock of our economy.

“The business department has been reduced to rubble sending a signal that this government has no interest in developing the higher waged, higher skills economy we urgently need.

Sleight of hand

“What we did hear was a sleight of hand on tax credits which will see 140,000 families on Universal Credit suffer a full cut now and falling incomes for many more from 2018.

“The attack on affordable housing and housing benefit will condemn people to in-work poverty.

“Once again, with further education being squeezed, our young people will feel only the cold shoulder of this government when what they need is a helping hand.

“If Osborne hits his surplus in 2020, even by one penny, it will be because he has razed to the ground the support and services we all rely on to keep our society safe and functioning.

“Instead he should be using historically low interest rates to invest our way to real, not phoney growth, based on decent secure jobs.

“The country needs a statesman stewarding the economy through these tough times to secure a future fit for all, but instead has an ideologue putting his own job ambitions ahead of those of the nation.

“History will take a dim view of this Chancellor’s time in office and expose his ideological zeal to cut, rather than invest, as his weakness.”