Inequality’s returned to Victorian times — MP

OLDHAM MP Michael Meacher was today leading a Commons debate demanding action over what he describes as growing inequality.

The Oldham West and Royton MP said inequality was at a level last seen in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

“There are now more working households in poverty, two-thirds of people who found work in the past year took jobs for less than the living wage and insecure work is now widespread, thanks to zero-hours contracts.

Mr Meacher added: “A whole range of Labour policies have been set out by Ed Miliband which would begin to transform this, including an energy price freeze, building 200,000 homes a year, breaking up the banks, creating a national investment bank, a mansion tax, a tax on bankers’ bonuses, the promotion of the Living Wage, a private rent cap, low wage and agency work protection, a big increase in apprenticeships, and the repeal of the bedroom tax.”