Hot on the heels of the great news that we have managed to secure funding for a new A&E at Croydon University Hospital (Mayday) there is some more great news, this time on jobs in Croydon: unemployment in Croydon is less than half what it was at the time of the last election.
The most recent figures, which run to the end of March show a Borough-wide average drop in unemployment of 51%. All parts of the Borough have benefitted pretty much equally. Youth unemployment has fallen by an even greater proportion. UK-wide, unemployment has fallen dramatically too.
This news means that nearly 5,000 of our fellow residents in Croydon have come off benefits and into work in the last 5 years. 75% of new jobs created have been full time, and the average family is £900 better off than 5 years ago. Only 2% of people are on “zero hours” contracts.
These figures show that the Conservatives are well on to way to fixing the mess that Labour left behind last time. If Ed Miliband/the SNP end up running the country, all this good progress will be put at risk.
This matters because the route to prosperity for everyone able-bodied is through work. And if people are in work and paying taxes, then there is more money available to fund the NHS, schools, pensions and so on.
I hope you will chose to support both me personally and the continuation of the economic recovery at the coming election.