Northumberland Labour is backing the party’s national stance that Britain will thrive if more is made and sold in the country.

Leader Scott Dickinson said: “The pandemic and Brexit have shown us the vulnerability of a country which depends as much as we do on overseas services, goods and business.

“Of course, we didn’t get to where we are by accident. Several Tory administrations, especially the Thatcher government, deliberately stripped jobs out of Britain and outsourced them to developing countries, putting thousands of British people out of work in the process. 

“This has to change. There is a bright future in Britain in areas like renewable energy and the industries associated with it. The government has to support schools and colleges to produce the workforce we need. It’s a common complaint of employers that many people leave school without the skills needed for work, such as problem solving, communication and team working.“And people need to be paid properly for the work they do. In-work poverty, zero hours contracts and poor working conditions have to go; they are not what Britain should be standing for in the 21st century.”

“If you can buy a t-shirt for £2 in a supermarket, you know the person who made it is not being paid fairly for their work.”