Leaked Figures Predict Job Loss Meltdown
The latest in a series of rows has between the new, and previous, governments has erupted after that most British of political devices – the leak!
The Guardian newspaper have somehow come into possession of figures, allegedly originating in the heart of the Treasury, that indicate up to 1.3 million jobs could be lost by 2015 as a result of the recent Budget cuts.
The newspaper alleges that the leaked information came from a slide that formed part of a presentation given in the Treasury prior to last week’s Emergency Budget. A treasury official has so far refused to confirm whether the slide was genuine or not, but Prime Minister Cameron will surely spare no efforts in rooting out the mole after a succession of damaging leaks blighted both the Tony Blair and John Major administrations.
Whether or not the information proves to be genuine, the leak could prove to be very damaging for the new coalition. The figures allege that more than 140,000 private sector and 120,000 public sector jobs could be lost every year for the next five years, including jobs that were thought to be secure, like locum doctor jobs. This is in stark contrast to claims made by the government that 2.5 million new jobs would be created during the same period.
The cuts announced by George Osborne during the budget were wide ranging and stringent, but had been widely expected as a way of reducing the unprecedented debt levels that the United Kingdom faces. The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition are laying the blame squarely at the door of the departed Labour government but the Labour Party are refusing to shoulder responsibility, instead accusing the Tories of using the budget to hammer the poor in their traditional manner.
Senior opposition politicians, as well as Trade Union leaders such as TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber, are already going to town on this leak, accusing Chancellor George Osborne of duplicity and claiming that he must have known of these figures and hidden them when he gave his budget speech to the House of Commons. Mr Osborne is expected to mount a vigorous defence of both the cuts and his job creation plans but if leaks such as these keep occurring then his job, and that of his coalition partners, could become increasingly difficult in the months to come.
Comments are closed!