Scottish Labour’s Shadow Business Minister, Ian Murray MP, is calling on MPs from all parties to back the immediate devolution of job creating powers to the Scottish Parliament.
Ian Murray will present his Job Creation Powers (Scotland) Bill to the House of Commons on Wednesday. The Bill would immediately devolve the Work Programme and Work Choice to the Scottish Government.
Scottish Labour has set out a plan to transfer these powers to communities across Scotland, so that more decisions about getting young people back into work are made locally. The proposal has been backed by the leaders of Scotland’s three largest cities – Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
Speaking ahead of the debate, Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray said:
“Labour will send our Home Rule Bill to Parliament within 100 days of forming the next Government, to pass more powers over jobs, welfare and tax to Scotland. But this week we need all of Scotland’s MPs to get behind this Bill to get job creating powers to Scotland now. We all signed up to devolve these powers in the Smith Agreement. Instead of waiting until after the election, it’s time to pass these powers now. Young unemployed people in Scotland can’t wait any longer.
“When it is published next week MPs from all parties should back this Bill to get young Scots back into work.
“The Tory’s Work Programme has failed Scotland. Only 1 in 5 people end up in a job at the end of the programme, and Scotland has a lower success rate than any English region. We need to take these powers and transfer them to communities across Scotland so we can use to get our young people back to work.”
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