While we all want to start the New Year full of hope and optimism for the coming months, this Tory Government is making that very, very difficult.

As many people in Middlesbrough start back at work after the festive break (and a huge thank you to all that worked in our public services throughout Christmas and New Year), they will not be seeing their bank balances increase. 

The reality is that wages have fallen over the past 12 years of Tory failures – here in Middlesbrough people earn on average £105 less per week than the UK average. It is a double whammy for working people and families – food, fuel and household costs keep rising yet wages are falling. 

A Labour Government would change this. We know just how important it is that people have well-paid jobs with proper terms and conditions that everyone deserves. We should always be aiming to offer the best working conditions, not constantly cutting back leaving people vulnerable. 

Labour’s New Deal for Working People will put an end to in-work poverty and transform the world of work for millions of people.

It has never been clearer that to get our economy and our country back on track we need this excuse of a Government to go and the sooner the better.