British government jobs plans dubbed ‘fantasy island politics’

BRITISH government plans to move huge numbers of benefit claimants into work were dubbed “fantasy island politics” yesterday when a union warned there were not enough jobs.

The general union GMB (formerly the General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trade Union) issued its warning after conducting a study giving a regional breakdown of unemployment and those classed as economically inactive.

The West Midlands topped the league of the 11 regions in Britain for unemployment expressed as a percentage of those of working age in the area.

There were 244,700 unemployed workers in the West Midlands, 7.5% of all those of working age in the region, while almost 730,000 people were economically inactive, said the report.

The North East was second, followed by the North West, Yorkshire & Humberside, London and Wales.

The area with the highest rate of unemployment in the country was said to be Sandwell, which had 21,200 unemployed workers, 12.1% of all those of working age in the area.

The South East had the lowest unemployment rate at 4.7%, followed by the South West at 5%.

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: “The Government is pursuing policies which are going to put hundreds of thousands of people out of work to join the 2.2 million people already jobless.

“In the same breath they are talking about getting those on incapacity benefit and disabled people into jobs that do not yet exist.

“It is no secret that there are large numbers of people who are disabled and on incapacity benefits as a legacy from the migration of industries from the UK to China and Far East. The problem is most acute in the old industrial heartlands and major cities.

“It is fantasy island politics to suggest that you can fit millions of people who are registered as unemployed or on incapacity benefit into jobs that are not there.

“The only feasible answer is to create jobs but the Government is doing the exact opposite. Getting people into meaningful employment is admirable but the current strategy does not add up.”