Labour’s Brighton and Hove candidates at the next general election and the party’s local leader have pledged to make Brighton and Hove a Living Wage city.
The move follows an announcement on Monday (3 November) that the living wage was rising from £7.65 an hour to £7.85.
The four politicians welcomed the rise, which will mean more pay for thousands of people in Brighton and Hove.
But they said that more action was needed to ensure more people in Brighton and Hove benefited from a living wage.
The four are parliamentary candidates Nancy Platts (Brighton Kemptown), Purna Sen (Brighton Pavilion) and Peter Kyle (Hove) and Warren Morgan, the Labour group leader on Brighton and Hove City Council.
They said that despite the welcome increase in employers seeking living wage accreditation, low pay was a growing problem in our city.
They cited research released last week showing 5.2 million people in Britain were now officially categorised as low paid – earning below two thirds of the median.
In Brighton and Hove, that worked out at about one in five people on low pay.
And, they said, women and young people tended to be the worst affected.
If they win office next May the four politicians promised that they would push for three measures to increase the number of living wage employers in Brighton and Hove.
First, they would push for a Labour government to introduce tax rebates for those companies that signed up to become living wage employers in the first year after the general election.
This would be paid for from the resulting higher tax receipts and the savings from lower social security payments.
Second, the council would do all it could to spread the living wage through the way in which it buys in services from outside contractors and providers.
This would be a key element of the work of a Labour council’s Fairness Commission and integral to plans for more apprenticeships.
Third, the Labour Party in Brighton and Hove would campaign alongside like-minded organisations such as the Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce.
This would include finding ways to celebrate those employers that paid the living wage while encouraging others to sign up.
Er, the Green Council- continually derided by Labour – set this up in 2011 as one of its first measures. Firms in Hove and Brighton – supported by the Chamber of Commerce – have recognised the social and economic benefits of it.
So they think that by giving workers on the minimum wage an extra £7.00 a week will help them.If Labour get in will it be a case of spending the Budget on what they want or what Constituents need.What are their plans for All of the Green Party projects ? Will they use that as an excuse as to waste even more money .We now await the Conservatives to come out with their spiel.
Mr Hawtree you have had your chance to put things right but because you and your fellow party members put yourselves before your constituents you have blown it big time.
So your point is what?
Greens had the chance to introduce the living wage, a chance they took despite being a minority administration and in the teeth of Labour opposition?
Are you suggesting that being several years ahead of Labour was a missed opportunity? Doesn’t make any sense.
I for one am pleased that Labour is finally supporting the minimum wage. This just shows that the small but trailblazing Green Party can make a change to the establishment parties for the better sometimes.
Should be Living wage!
I just cannot see how people can be expected to make ends meet on £275.00 a week before deductions with rents now out of control in The City.They shouldn’t have to go through the process of applying for benefits to help them what is basically a case of surviving, I am not blaming The Green Party for this I just thought that they would put more emphasis on Social Welfare.
Nice try.
The Greens have been a lone voice supporting social welfare for the poorest, whether it be resisting the bedroom tax, expensive rents or supporting a minimum wage of £10/ hour by 2020.
Feel free to tell me a party that has done more. Certainly not Labour (who refused to suppot the Greens locally in supporting the poorest), yet another party of austerity and a party in civil war if the media is to be believed today.
H Jarrs who do you think are the people that need theses loans? Perhaps you have the answer to my question above?
Sorry that should have been in the article about the Credit Union but it might get your attention better here anyway.