[UK] Unemployment surges through 2m
Unemployment has risen through the 2 million mark on the widest measure of joblessness while the claimant count has suffered its biggest jump on record.
The Office for National Statistics today confirmed that unemployment rose to 2.029 million in the three months to January – the highest in 12 years – a rise of 165,000 from the previous quarter.
The January figure was revised up sharply to show a rise of 93,500, up from the 73,800 reported a month ago. That means the claimant count has surged by around 600,000 in the past year.
Update: Here’s Labour’s Brian Iddon (Bolton SE) as James Purnell’s callous Welfare Reform Bill passed the Commons unopposed by the Tories or Libdems,on its third reading:
… told how he was handing over cash to a close family member to top up his jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) because it was “impossible to live on”. He said that were he not “almost doubling it” the person would not have a decent standard of living.
LabourHome is currently running a poll:
Should Labourhome run an annual awards ceremony for Labour politicians, activists and constituencies?
Yes
No
Oh, yes, yes, yes.
In addition to a couple of obvious awards, (twin Dinky toys to Prezza for Most Unlikely Blog Success, and a therapy gift certificate to Derek Draper for the Most Enjoyable Blog Meltdown) may I suggest The Mandy, an annual award of a magnum of Bolly for Grinding The Faces Of The Poor? I don’t think Iddon would win any such poll, being as he is so definitely off-message, but I bet Parnell’d be in with a very good chance.
Update II
