Labour candidate in plea over living wage

Emma Reynolds has responded to the results of a survey she conducted with residents in the Wolverhampton North East constituency which she is aiming to hold for Labour.

The survey showed that 92.7 per cent of people thought low pay was something to be concerned about, while 71.9 per cent of respondents were worried about the rising cost of food and energy bills.

Meanwhile 65.3 per cent of people had cut down on the weekly food shop and 61.3 per cent had reduced expenditure on heating in the last twelve months due to financial concerns.

Following the findings, which have been revealed during national Living wage Week, Ms Reynolds has called on all employers in the city to sign up to pay the Living Wage.

She said: "The simple fact is that after nine years of Conservative government, people are still struggling to get by.

"The cost of living crisis is still very real and the government just has not done enough to help increase people’s wages. All employers should pay the Living Wage to ensure their employees are not struggling to get by.

"From the people who responded to my survey, more than 9 in 10 people are concerned about low pay – and the rising cost of everyday essentials is impacting on their livelihoods. More than half have had to cut down on either the weekly food shop, or heating their homes in the last year.

"Despite the government boasting about wage growth, people still do not feel their pay packets keep pace with the cost of living.

"Employers should be signing up to pay a genuine Living Wage – not just the Conservative’s rebranded Minimum Wage – to ensure they pay their employees fairly."

The Conservatives have pledged to raise the national living wage to £10.50 an hour as part of their election manifesto.

Speaking at September's Conservative Party conference, Chancellor Sajid Javid said the rise would allow a Tory government to "end low pay altogether".