JAMES McMurdock MP has warned that the Government’s high-tax policies are contributing to rising unemployment in South Basildon and East Thurrock, as new figures show increasing numbers of people claiming unemployment-related benefits both locally and nationally.
Recent labour market statistics show unemployment across the UK has risen over the past year, with the national unemployment rate increasing from 4.5% to 5.0%. The number of unemployed people has increased by almost 200,000 compared to a year ago.
Mr McMurdock said:
“Every business owner I speak to tells me the same thing: costs are rising, confidence is falling, and Labour keeps making it more expensive to employ people due to measures such as increasing employers’ National Insurance. When you increase the cost of hiring workers, the inevitable consequence is fewer jobs.”
“Small businesses, retailers, logistics firms, manufacturers, and hospitality venues are all facing higher costs. Many are delaying recruitment, cutting hours, or deciding not to expand. Unfortunately, it is local workers who pay the price.”
Mr McMurdock said the latest claimant count figures for parliamentary constituencies demonstrate the challenge facing many communities across Britain and warned that South Essex is suffering from the wider economic slowdown.
He added:
“Labour promised growth, but what people are seeing is higher taxes, higher unemployment, and higher pressure on family finances. Businesses create jobs, not governments. If ministers genuinely want people back into work, they need to stop treating employers as an endless source of revenue so they can go out and hire more staff instead. More working people means less spent on welfare, more raised in income tax, and most importantly it will improve the quality of life for people who Labour is otherwise condemning to a life on benefits.”
Mr McMurdock concluded by calling for a more pro-growth approach:
“We should be reducing the tax burden, encouraging investment, and making it easier for businesses to hire. Instead, Labour is pushing Basildon’s and Thurrock’s economies into decline. My constituents deserve better than that.”
