Defiant delegates want jobseeker benefit restored

Labour delegates have defied the party leadership and insisted young unemployed people should have their full jobseeker benefits restored after controversial cuts were imposed by the coalition.

The public face-off occurred last night after a Labour Youth motion to re-instate the full Jobseeker’s Allowance to 18-25-year-olds was passed by conference, despite a last gasp attempt by the minister responsible to delay any decision.

In the first public row of the annual three-day conference, delegates broadly backed plans to remove the “discriminatory” decision to slash the €188 weekly allowance to €100 for younger people.