
With Terry Morgan – former Apprentice – now Chairman of Crossrail – Europe’s biggest construction project #Business53 pic.twitter.com/igdljL60Lt ? Matt Hancock (@MattHancock2015) March 19, 2015
On the subject of jobs, Labour’s?Chuka Umunna spoke to Real Business on 1 April and said the Conservatives are responsible for the ?rise of a low-wage, low-skilled economy and insecure work??and ?Labour?s better plan will boost high-skilled, better paid jobs.? However, Hancock responded to the claims by saying history has revealed a different outcome. ?No Labour government has left office with unemployment lower than it started. Secondly, when it comes to high skills, the reforms to education and apprenticeships have started to make progress in solving that. There’s an awful long way to go, but we don’t want to put reforms at risk. Messages like that [Umunna’s] need to be checked against facts. It’s all well and good to wish against those, but we’re putting measures in place.? Elsewhere,?Umunna called zero-hours contracts the ?exploitative norm? for many under the Conservatives. As such, Labour expects employers recruiting people on zero-hours contracts to replace them with permanent contracts after three months. On whether ?exploitative? is a fair assessment, Hancock said: ?I think that should be asked to the 63 Labour MPs employing people on zero-hours. In the Small Business Act, we’ve made changes to ban exploitative zero-hours contracts. Look at the total, there are 670,0000 people working with those contracts and two-thirds don’t want any more hours ? then compare that to the 2m more jobs that have been created [with this government]. ?A headline-grabbing announcement like that was undermined when the Labour contracts were revealed. Our focus has been on making it [employment] easier and it has helped Britain create millions of jobs, tackle exploitation, while allowing flexible employment and I think that’s the right approach. I would say practice what you preach,? he added.Loved listening to entrepreneur Bianca Mart?n & team who’ve built their business out of great chocolate #Business40 pic.twitter.com/4aVJ6HbJ05 ? Matt Hancock (@MattHancock2015) April 7, 2015
Hancock supported his case by saying exclusivity of zero-hours contracts have been banned, so employers can no longer prevent staff from working elsewhere, and noted that bodies like the TUC are also backing zero-hours as beneficial. Discussing other highlights, the business minister said he’s particularly proud of changes to make regulatory burdens more reasonable for companies, which has seen the annual net burden fall by ?2.2bn since 2011, according to Budget figures. Meanwhile, the expansion of apprenticeships was also a stand-out moment, described as ?a moral mission as well as an economic one? that has ?supported millions of people?. Detailing why entrepreneurs should vote Conservative, Hancock said: ?Businesspeople should expect the Conservatives to continue the long-term plan make it easier for businesses across the piece. We know that business done right can be a force for good ? businesses create prosperity.? The Conservatives’ long-term economic plan?includes reducing the deficit to manage debts while protecting the economy, while it looks to create more jobs, which it claims will be achieved by supporting small businesses with lower jobs taxes and improved infrastructure.?Labour and conservative polices?for the up coming election. Indeed, the Budget revealed a??740m fund to boost the infrastructure and generate ?cities of the future? with investments in broadband and the Internet of Things, providing enhanced connectivity for businesses. Elsewhere, the plan also seeks to cap welfare and control immigration so that hard workers are better off, while there is also a focus on skills for youngsters. Hancock concluded: ?They should vote for the Conservatives if they want people in government who understand and back enterprise, who have been in business themselves, if they want easier lives, and a nation of success based on the success of others. I can’t think of a single reason why an entrepreneur would want to vote anywhere else.? By Zen Terrelonge Share this story