Stuart Anderson MP has backed a new campaign from the Conservative Party to "Save the Summer Job" amid warnings that Labour's red tape and tax rises are locking a generation of young people out of work.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"A summer job is about more than extra money. It's about equipping young people with vital skills and confidence to get their first step on the career ladder. Working in a shop, pub or on a farm during the holidays has taught generations of young people the habits of work and given them a foot in the door. However, Labour has saddled local businesses with red tape and tax rises. Even Andy Burnham's decision to cut business rates for pubs and clubs does not compensate for this. It also leaves out hundreds of thousands of hospitality businesses including cafes, restaurants, and high street retailers. I am proud to back the Conservative Party's fully-funded plan to cut business rates for 250,000 high street businesses, scrap employment red-tape, and cut the barriers that stop businesses from hiring to protect the summer job and get the rural economy working again."
Stuart Anderson MP is greatly concerned that new figures show more than a million young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment, or training. In June 2026, there were 1,195 people claiming unemployment-related benefits in South Shropshire. This includes 230 claimants aged 18 to 24, which is up 45 compared to last June. Stuart has said that Labour's tax hikes and new employment laws are making it harder for local businesses to hire seasonal staff, which is putting summer jobs at risk across a range of sectors in the local economy.
Stuart has also responded to Prime Minister Andy Burnham's announcement that pubs, clubs, and live music venues will receive a 20 per cent cut to their business rates bills from April next year. During the Makerfield by-election, Andy Burnham pledged to cut business rates for hospitality businesses by 20 per cent. However, he has only offered the support to pubs and clubs whose business rates will have increased by 95 per cent under Labour, even after taking account of the cut. This means that hundreds of thousands of hospitality businesses including cafes, restaurants, and high street retailers will be left facing Labour’s £9 billion business rates tax hike. Burnham has not set out how he will pay for the cut, so either taxes or borrowing will have to go up again. In contrast, savings identified by the Conservatives would enable business rates to be cut for 250,000 high street businesses - helping them to reinvest in their business and recruit young people again.
Stuart is also worried that the Employment Rights Act is making it harder for seasonal businesses to recruit. The Act is set to cost businesses up to £5 billion, increase unemployment, reduce growth, and lead to more industrial action. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that the legislation risks cutting flexibility for young people. New BRC data shows that 70% of workers aged 18 to 29 say flexibility at work is important to them. On top of that, Stuart has said that outdated rules governing part-time work for young people are locking thousands out of the opportunity to get a first job. The Milburn Review, which the government commissioned, said that the decline of the Saturday job has made it more difficult for young people to enter the workplace. The Conservatives would repeal restrictions on Sunday working, extend the evening working window to 9pm, and remove the need for permits to hire young people.
