On Sunday I spent all day at the Westcombe Park Rugby Festival watching my son playing for the Beccehamians Under 12’s team (photograph). The BECCs team came second in their age group which was a very good performance against some stiff opposition.
Apparently national unemployment figures have also put in a very good performance too. We now know that 2 million jobs have materialised in the UK since 2010. Jobs are now being created at about 1,000 a day.
My most up to date local figures reflect this too. In November 2013 there were 801 claimants for Jobseekers Allowance in the Beckenham Constituency but by November 2014 this figure had reduced to 561 people. That is a 240 reduction in a year. By February 2015 unemployment in the constituency was down to 1.1 per cent of the working population (504 people). In May 2010 two point five per cent of working age people in the constituency were registered as job seekers. There has been 50 per cent plus reduction in unemployment locally. Hurrah!
Of course I am particularly concerned about youth unemployment but there is good news here. I don’t have local figures but understand that across the country youth unemployment has dropped by 181,000 over the last twelve months. I hope this too is reflected locally.
The jibe from Labour that most of these new jobs are part-time is simply untrue. Three quarters of them are full-time contracts. Since the last election the number of people in full-time work has risen by 1.4 million.
In fact the UK has created more new jobs that the rest of the European Union put together which is a really good sign that our economy is on the mend. It does though make us an attractive destination for those seeking employment from Europe which is why so many people are coming here and one of the reasons we need to get proper control of our borders again.
Equal good news is a report from the International Monetary Fund. Its Head, Christine Legarde has praised the economic performance of Britain particularly comparing it to the sluggish, if not negative, performance of the Euro area. Thank goodness we as a country have always resisted the siren calls of those who wanted us to join the Euro.