Martyn Jones

Labour Party | Clwyd South

Michael Howard: ‘Extreme, Dangerous And Absurd’

Martyn Jones has called for celebration that the minimum wage has once again been confirmed to rise to £5.05 and then £5.35 next year.  Introduced by Labour, the minimum wage has prevailed alongside falling unemployment in the area, despite criticism by the Conservatives.

Mr. Jones, worried that current Tory silence on the issue may lead to a belief that they are in agreement with Labour, is now leading a campaign to ensure that everybody realises that the Tories are in fact dead against the minimum wage.

It is estimated that this year’s rise will benefit 1.3 million low paid workers and 1.4 million in 2006, 70 per cent of which are women.

The Tories opposed the minimum wage when in government and condemned over one million people to the misery of low pay. They opposed the minimum wage when it was introduced by Labour. And they opposed Labour’s previous increases in the minimum wage.

In government, it was Michael Howard who led the attack on the policy. He said it was ‘extreme, dangerous and absurd’. He said it would cost two million jobs and even after its introduction he argued that it would increase unemployment.  There has been silence ever since.

Mr. Jones thinks that the wider public will agree that with unemployment slashed in half over his period in office – it seems incomprehensible that a minimum wage could still be disputed as a an effective device to stimulate the economy into growth. 

The Labour government could have pursued two broad economic strategies when it came to wages and growth:  Wages could be pushed lower in the manufacturing sector in order to compete with the emerging economies, or there could be a move to higher wages and new knowledge-based industries with higher productivity.  The choice to pursue higher wages and impose a minimum wage standard has now ensured that we are on a road towards a more prosperous society

The National Minimum Wage and Labour’s tax credits help to insure households against fluctuations in their incomes and provide support for the costs of raising children, while at the same time strengthening work incentives.

By April 2005, the National Minimum Wage and Working Tax Credit, taken
together, will ensure that: a couple aged 25 or over with no children and one earner working full-time are guaranteed £198 a week; and a family with one child and one earner working full time are guaranteed £258 a week.

Mr. Jones is encouraging the community to write to the Conservative Party and encourage them to break their silence on a policy that they don’t believe in.  With the election looming, Mr. Jones believe that the Tory silence will be misinterpreted as a demonstration of support and the electorate deserves the right to know what they are voting for:

Commenting, Mr. Jones said:

“I certainly believe that the Minimum Wage is one of Labour’s most successful policies.  It’s broader objectives coupled with the direct impact is has had on our community in lifting people out of poverty as unemployment continues to decline is a phenomenal achievement.  I am confident that the community is in agreement with me on this issue and will not agree with Michael Howard’s view that the minimum wage is ‘extreme, dangerous and absurd’

“If you do still believe that the minimum wage is wrong, you really have to ask yourself some tough questions – for instance do you accept that without the National Minimum Wage 49,000 women in Wales would still be on poverty wages?

“The current silence emanating from the Tory camp on the issue is not a demonstration of a changed stance.  They know that this is benefiting our community and it would therefore be crippling to employ their criticisms in public as the election approaches.

“Aside from inter-party conflict on the issue, it is important that voters know what they are voting for and I implore my constituents to write to Tory officials to assess whether they follow the common Tory Line on the issue – that the minimum wage is apparently ‘dangerous’. 

“I wish Tory officials the best of luck in explaining their opposition to the thousands of citizens in the area that will benefit, once again, when this year the wage is increased again to £5.35."