Why Britain isn't working - with Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Employment
The New Statesman | UK politics and culture
The New Statesman
4.4 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 21 February 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
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Summary
The number of working age people out of work in Britain 2010 was around 9 million. In 2025? Around 9 million. But why is worklessness in Britain now deemed a crisis, and what can the government do to fix this?
Will Dunn, the New Statesman's business editor, is joined by Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Employment.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | So here are a few ways. |
| 0:01.8 | We think you could get your money working harder. |
| 0:03.8 | Okay. |
| 0:04.5 | This is just one of 30,000 people who received free, personalized advice on their money from Skiptown Building Society last year. |
| 0:12.7 | If you're looking to save your first home, build towards your long-term future. |
| 0:17.3 | Or just get on top of your money this year. |
| 0:19.3 | Well, that's a conversation worth having. |
| 0:21.8 | Book your Skippton Building Society, My Money Review, in branch, over the phone or online at |
| 0:27.9 | skipton.com.uk. |
| 0:32.8 | The New Statesman |
| 0:34.4 | Hello, I'm Will Dunn and this is politics from the The New Statesman. |
| 0:42.4 | Hello, I'm Will Dunn, and this is politics from The New Statesman. |
| 0:44.7 | We've got something a bit different for you today. |
| 0:49.1 | Politicians from both main parties are asking, is Britain working? |
| 0:52.6 | This is the Chancellor Rachel Reeves a couple of weeks ago. |
| 0:56.0 | It's around a million young people not in education, employment or training. That's what we inherited from the Conservatives at the general election. |
| 1:00.0 | I want to make sure that everyone who can work is in work or in training. |
| 1:05.0 | And this is the Work and Pension Secretary Liz Kendall. |
| 1:08.0 | I think we need as a country to have a serious focus on the fact that we |
| 1:14.0 | will be spending 20 billion pounds more on sickness and disability benefits over the course of |
| 1:19.8 | this Parliament. The government is preparing what it describes as fundamental reform of our |
| 1:25.9 | welfare system to address the fact that millions of working |
... |
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