Stuart Anderson MP says government's employment plan neglects rural areas
Stuart Anderson MP has said that the new government must deliver tailored support for rural areas if it is serious about achieving its goal of reaching an 80 per cent employment rate. The objective was set out in a new plan - the Great Britain Working White Paper - which was published on Tuesday, 26th November 2024. The White Paper is backed by £240 million of government investment to "target and tackle the root causes of unemployment inactivity." Yet, Stuart has said that there is a disproportionate focus on city-regions at the expense of rural areas like South Shropshire.
Almost half of the funding - £125 million - will be spent in just eight areas. Meanwhile, £15 million will be available to areas that have not been named by Ministers as 'trailblazers.' In its White Paper, the Government has confirmed that all 16 trailblazers will be within mayoral authorities, Wales, and London. The document only refers to rural areas once, where the extra support envisaged by the plan is delivered via a mayoral combined authority. As recently reported by the Institute for Government (IfG), almost 30 million people, or half the population, live outside these areas. So, Stuart has now said that the neglect of rural areas contradicts the government's goal to "enable everyone to have the opportunity of secure, rewarding and fulfilling work."
In a written parliamentary question tabled on 12th November 2024, Stuart had called on the government to increase access to careers advice in rural communities. Given the lack of attention to it in the new plan, Stuart has now written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to request details of how the government sought to 'rural-proof' the plan. Stuart has demanded a detailed breakdown of the funding allocations and how it considered factors like sparsity, distance, and connectivity.
Stuart had already spoken out about the worrying downward trend of youth unemployment in South Shropshire in the months following the General Election. In October 2024, there were 1,365 claimants in South Shropshire, which was 2.6% of the population aged 16-64. This includes 220 claiamants aged 18-24, which is up 40 claimants since the General Election in July.
In October, Stuart took part in the Work and Pensions Question Time session where he asked a question about the accessibility of Jobcentres in rural areas, given their role in helping to tackle youth unemployment. Although Ministers pledged to transform Jobcentres into "a genuine public service employment", he has added it won't mean much if people in rural areas are not able to access them.
It is part of Stuart's long-term campaign to unleash rural prosperity, as research commissioned by the Country Land and Business Association has shown that the rural economy is 16% less productive than the national average. The research adds that closing these gaps in employment, earnings and productivity could add up to £43 billion to the Gross Valued Added (GVA) of England alone.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Everyone, including those in rural areas, should be able to access the skills and training needed to secure rewarding, well-paid jobs and move up the ladder of opportunity. This is especially important in South Shropshire, where youth unemployment has sadly soared since the General Election. I have been clear that I wanted to see a clear focus on rural communities in the government's employment plan, addressing issues like sparsity, distance, and connectivity. I am disappointed the government has failed to do so and neglected the needs of rural areas. So, I am urging them to urgently address this omission and detail how they will address unemployment in rural areas."
