{"id":13546,"date":"2017-09-25T16:34:38","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T15:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=13546"},"modified":"2017-09-26T09:41:51","modified_gmt":"2017-09-26T08:41:51","slug":"new-world-sight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=13546","title":{"rendered":"New world ‘in sight’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Shadow chancellor John McDonnell today (September 25) painted a picture of Britain as it is and the Britain it could one day be under a Labour programme that will hand power and wealth to the true wealth creators \u00e2\u20ac\u201c working people.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Skyrocketing household debt was a chief concern for Labour, McDonnell said in his speech today at the Labour Party Conference, as he outlined steps the party would take to ease families\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 unfair debt burdens as their wages have stagnated and predatory lenders cash in.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe last seven years of Tory economic failure has created the perfect storm, as wages have fallen behind, more and more families are being pushed deeper into debt,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bHousehold debt in this country stands at the record level of over \u00c2\u01411.8trn.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have seen with pay day loans; some companies were making massive profits from people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s financial difficulties,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McDonnell noted.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u015bUnder pressure, the government has been forced to cap interest payments on payday loans.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bBut more than three million credit card holders are trapped by their debt. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve paid more in interest charges and fees than their original borrowing. The Financial Conduct Authority has argued for action to be taken on credit card debt as on pay day loans.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pledge<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI am calling upon the government to act now apply the same rules on payday loans to credit card debt,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McDonnell pledged. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt means that no-one will ever pay more in interest than their original loan.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf the Tories refuse to act, I can announce today that the next Labour government will amend the law,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said, joking that it could be called the McDonnell amendment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The shadow chancellor explained how Britain is standing at the precipice of the fourth industrial revolution \u00e2\u20ac\u201c within a few decades it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been estimated that half of all jobs will be automated away.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What remains, McDonnell said, is a political choice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe jobs that remain can, if we let them, be exploitative, dangerous, degrading, and dead-end,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bOr the jobs we create can provide good, secure employment, in work that is fulfilling and meaningful, in communities where pride and prosperity has been restored.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He contrasted this vision to what the Tories have offered \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a revolution in technology being used to \u00e2\u20ac\u015benrich a tiny elite, whilst creating a life for many workers of long hours, low pay, and insecure employment.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a choice to be made,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe can remain a low-wage economy, specialising in zero hours contracts. Or we can use the state to help shape Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future in this new world.\u00c2\u00a0 We know it can be done.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

McDonnell highlighted other key Labour policies, such as bringing back privatised services like rail, Royal Mail and energy back into public hands; pulling out of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) deals which have heaped billions of debt onto an NHS already on its knees; and setting up a new Strategic Investment Board which will rebalance the economy away from financial speculation and towards production, research and development.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Disparities<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

He spoke of the disparities in investment between London and the Home Counties and the rest of the country, adding that Labour would \u00e2\u20ac\u015bno longer accept these disparities\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe will legislate for a fair distribution of investment. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll devolve decision making through the Regional Development Banks, our Mayors, and regenerate the powers and resources available to local councils,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll build Crossrail for the north, connecting our great northern cities from west coast to east, and extend HS2 into Scotland. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll deliver the funding for Midlands Connect, overhauling transport across the Midlands. And we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll overturn decades of neglect and lack of investment in the South-West. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll electrify railway lines from Cornwall right through to London.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He slammed the Tory government for presiding over a decade of stagnating wages, pledging to scrap the public sector pay cap and introduce a real statutory living wage of \u00c2\u014110 an hour.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIn the election campaign Theresa May was asked why nurses were being forced to resort to foodbanks and she replied that the issue was complex,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t complex. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s simple. They just aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t being paid enough.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He pledged Labour would scrap the Tories\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Trade Union Act which has blocked working people from effectively negotiating with their bosses for better pay, terms and conditions, as he paid tribute to those trade unionists still fighting against the odds, such as the young people organising for the first time ever for higher wages at McDonald\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Above all, Labour would implement a wholly different vision for the nation, in which economic growth means shared prosperity for all and success is measured in more than a headline GDP figure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Quoting the late US senator Bobby Kennedy, McDonnell said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play.\u00c2\u00a0 It does not include the beauty of our poetry.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Care<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe performance of our government will be measured by the care we show to all our people and the richness of their lives,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he noted.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe proved in the election, and we will now go on to prove in government, our belief that hope will always overcome fear. Kindness and generosity will always overcome greedy self-interest. And that the flame of solidarity in our society will never be extinguished.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFor years we have proclaimed that \u00e2\u20ac\u0098Another World is Possible,\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he concluded to a standing ovation. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI tell you now, that world is not just possible, it is in sight. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s create it together.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner hailed McDonnell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s speech.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt presented a sweeping vision of a world in which working people are in control of their destiny and are no longer held back by the sustained Tory attack on their wages, on their public services and their future,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Turner said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bEspecially welcome was the new pledge on introducing a cap on credit card interest payments,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bReckless, predatory lending is not only keeping working families buried under ever-growing mountains of debt that are impossible to escape, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also leading us sleepwalking straight back into another financial crisis.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bRepealing the Trade Union Act, setting up a ministry of Labour and restoring collective bargaining will, taken together, empower workers to negotiate for better pay, terms and conditions. And forward-thinking investment underpinned by a proper industrial strategy will ensure that our economy grows and prospers for everyone \u00e2\u20ac\u201c not just the elite few.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe need bold, new ideas for the new world we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re entering which will see work change because of automation, and employers seeking to take advantage of that. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exactly what McDonnell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s speech laid out \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a cohesive programme that has the power to transform working people\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lives.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Watch John McDonnell’s speech here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell today (September 25) painted a picture of Britain as it is and the Britain it could one day be under a Labour programme that will hand power and wealth to the true wealth creators \u00e2\u20ac\u201c working people.   Skyrocketing household debt was a chief concern for Labour, McDonnell said in his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[220,497,806,807,184,165],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13546"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13546"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13555,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13546\/revisions\/13555"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}