We must get Britain working again, our friends in the private sector are simply not picking up the challenge we gave them by our example of cutting public sector jobs, so we will encourage them.
Unemployed young people (18-24) will enter the Work Programme at week 39. The Work Programme is not run by the State, but by my friends in the private sector who we pay by results, or whatever they declare to us as we don't have a robust checking regime in place, but we trust them. At that time, my friends in the private sector will be able to employ our young unemployed at the national minimum wage, which we will subsidise up to 50% for 6 months.
There will also be new apprenticeships which will last for 6 months and paid at a generous £2.40 per hour with no employment at the end - we are successfully currently running this in the public sector. Former Apprentices will then enter the Work Programme. My colleague Mr Cable has recently made it clear that anyone may be sacked for any reason and with no redress. Older people may wish to reflect on this when considering their more than generous pensions: unemployed older people will enter the Work Programme at week 52, or this could be earlier, particularly so if you have what we call "a disability". People being released from prison will enter the Work Programme immediately on release.
We told you the private sector would generate the jobs we've cut from the public sector, and this is our commitment to it. We are doing it this way because we've cut many public sector jobs in DWP (and continue to do so), and our friends in the private sector say they can do the job less expensively, perhaps not in the short term, we recognise set-up costs are horrendously expensive. But in the long term, the directors of these companies expect to pay themselves appropriate bonuses, which is fair, as it will be written into their contracts. Of course, people on the Work Programme and our other schemes will not be classified as unemployed, so you will no longer be shocked at the unemployment figures. This will be gradually phased in until April, so it will look as if the schemes are being effective, month on month, and unemployment is decreasing. This will generate a "feel-good" factor and also send a powerful message to Mrs Merkel.
We are also embarking on a massive affordable housing scheme, designed to keep thousands of Poles in employment and thus paying taxes. We will offer special lower percentage mortgages to first time buyers. This is not to be confused with "sub-prime" schemes, but one which will allow for our new "prime" ie first time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder, thus reducing the pressure on social housing, and will be subsidised and underwritten by us. We will also ask the private sector to build some social housing for those who don't want to see a prosperous Britain, but the rents for these must achieve market value, and will not be subsidised by the hard working taxpayer.
Fuel tax will not increase in January. Our new friends in Libya have agreed that as we spent several billion pounds helping them out recently, we can enjoy a price reduction of 10 cents a barrel for the next 6 months. We will revisit the subject of fuel levies at that time.
Hat tip to Marcus Brigstock's rant on today's Now Show on the housing bit which is better than mine. Check the podcast if you missed it.
