Green Party pledge jobs for Black Country and wage hike
Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has pledged to hike the minimum wage and create jobs in the Black Country if the party makes a breakthrough in the General Election.
In an exclusive message for readers of the Express & Star, Miss Bennett said she wanted to see small businesses being backed to create jobs across the country and not just in London and the South East.
The party is standing in every constituency across the West Midlands, compared with just 24 seats in 2010.
Miss Bennett said: "It's been a great year for the Green Party in the West Midlands.
"When we had our autumn conference in Birmingham in 2014, we had 20 000 members.
"Now, we have 57 000, and we're neck and neck in national polls with the Lib Dems.
"Young people in particular have embraced our message of hope and real change.
"We have an unacceptable situation for young people in the West Midlands. We have tuition fees that leave young people with huge debts, and no more Education Maintenance Allowance.
"So many households are struggling to put food in the table and keep a roof over their heads. The new jobs trumpeted by the coalition are not full-time well-paying jobs.
"Most don't provide enough to pay the bills, or they're part-time or temp jobs, or on zero hours contracts.
"What the Greens want to do is immediately make the minimum wage the level of the Living Wage - £7.85/hour in the West Midlands - and for that to rise to £10 by 2020.
"We want to create those kind of jobs by supporting small businesses, and the local and regional economy -- jobs in the Black Country, not just in London and the South East.
"We're poised to run in every constituency in your region, compared with 24 seats out of 59 in 2010. In every constituency across the West Midlands, you will have Green candidates who are serious about building a fairer society and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top."
The party's national deputy leader is Dudley councillor Will Duckworth, who represents Netherton, Woodside and St Andrew's ward.
He is also standing in the key marginal seat of Dudley North, against Labour's Ian Austin, Conservative Les Jones, UKIP's Bill Etheridge , Liberal Democrat Mike Collins and Dave Pitt of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
