Forum Topic

Unemployment highest since 1994 - Well done Mr Cameron!

Unemployment in Britain has increased to 2.64 million, the highest level since 1994 when the Party of Unemployment were also in Government. Youth unemployment, at 1.027 million, is at the highest level since 1992, giving huge numbers of young people the opportunity to enjoy long periods of unpaid leisure.To those who are unemployed I offer my sincere sympathies. To those who voted Tory in 2010 and have since become unemployed, be careful what you wish for in future!Cameron's Party of Unemployment holds the record for unemployment in Britain when in government both before and after World War 2. They are now well on the way to creating a new all-time record. I hope those of you who voted for Cameron and his cronies are proud of your achievement.

John Connelly ● 5256d8 Comments

I was unemployed, voted Tory in 2010 (having never voted for them previously) and have since become employed.By the way, did you know that unemployment has risen under every Labour government this country has ever had?

Ian Fillingham ● 5256d

Agreed."Real" work is too easily replaced by "real" benefits .Not working,particularly for the young,should not be sanctioned by the state.

Keith Iddon ● 5256d

Deindustrialisation in Britain began around 110 years ago when our industries began to struggle against more efficient German and American competitors, and the decline has proceeded ever since.As a six form student in the late 1960's I can remember form teachers advising weaker students - "Your results won't be very good - go for engineering". The more able were encouraged to consider the liberal arts, medicine, business and law. By then the typical British manufacturing company board was dominated by financiers,lawyers and worthies from the Establishment. In contrast, the typical German or Japanese company board was dominated by engineers and technical specialists.By the 1980's  our industrial base was in terminal decline and government decided our future would lie in the City. Is it any coincidence that the B&I MP, Mary Macleod, is a product of the City, as is the likely winner in Feltham and Heston? If you can obtain huge salaries and bonuses through gambling in the financial markets why do anything productive and get your hands dirty?Reluctance to engage in "real" work is now deeply embedded in the national psychic, and the celebrity culture which the media promotes does nothing to assist.

John Connelly ● 5256d

This is a worrying figure indeed.I do feel that some of the blame for it lies at the feet of the last govn.with their open door policy regarding the new members of the EU and their laxity toward the life on benefit syndrome.Whilst they provided a cheap plumber or nanny for our middle classes,the working class had their jobs taken away,in microcosm.They also encouraged all our kids to go to uni.rather than some doing an apprenticeship.

Keith Iddon ● 5256d

I can see the country in 30 years time, impoverished, reliant on tourists looking at Britain's historic castles, stately homes and blighted high streets; the educated having left for Australia and New Zealand. I fortunately will not be around.

Chris Dakers ● 5256d

It was pretty obvious the the private sector could not create all the jobs that were cut in the public sector. The reason being that so many private sector companies relied on the public sector for work and are now up against it themselves. Although I'm sure someone local will be along shortly to congratulate Dave and co. on a wonderful job. I was very taken by the news item about the huge machines that will bore through the underground for Crossrail and have had to be bought from Germany as we no longer make them having once been the leaders in this type of engineering. According to the people on the TV people aren't doing engineering at university level, this morning what do we see? A construction engineering graduate who also had his Masters degree but cannot get a job in the U.K. so he and fellow graduates are going to Australia for work - absolute madness.

Vanessa Smith ● 5256d

It does seem to be what they do best doesn't it?   A further advantage (from the Govts. POV) is that those lucky enough to remain employed have their wages at best frozen and often reduced in real terms. It's all vu deja (no I don't mean deja vu,I can't remember it being this bad before).

Tony Wood ● 5256d

The tories have a poorly concealled objective to greatly reduce the size of the state. They cannot openly state that they are actively stripping down the size of the public sector as a core objective - they can only say that 'prudent fiscal management' means thousands need to lose their jobs. But what a happy coincidence.The less happy coincidence is that such deep cuts lead to unemployment which impacts the private sector (loss of confidence as well as loss of consumer purchasing). That in turn leads to private sector job cuts, reduced growth, higher spend on benefits and reduced tax income. Hence the increase in borrowing.

Alan Clark ● 5256d