Dear John

As worries about a new global recession begin to mount, new data this week showed the West Midlands had the second worst growth in the UK over the last year - and our region’s residents are now amongst the UK’s most pessimistic about the future.

So this week we’ll step up our 'Street Watch' campaign exposing our Tory Mayor who’s simply not delivered.

You’ll be amazed to hear that Andy Street has taken his last manifesto off the internet. But we found it. And it’s clear why he’s trying to hide it.

He promised:

We’d be the fastest growing region in the UK
Wages would be growing faster here than anywhere else
Zero young people would be unemployed or not in skills training

Well, we’ve looked behind his blizzard of selfies at the stats - and they’re shocking:

This week we learned the West Midlands had the second worst growth of any region in the last year - well behind the UK average - and ten other regions

Our region’s wage growth (at 2%) over the last year is not only worse than the UK average, its worse than the North West, Yorkshire, London, the South West, Wales, and Scotland .

Nearly 1,000 more 16-17 year olds are unemployed or not in skills training than before Mr Street was elected, and youth unemployment is soaring; up 22% in the last year across the region and a shocking 43% in Walsall and 55% in Coventry.

It’s clear we have a Tory Mayor who is simply not delivering on his promises. And that’s why it’s time for an alternative: a bold plan to boost jobs and wages for the many not the few which we’ve set out in our draft manifesto for Radical Compassion:

I’d love to know what you think.

Best wishes

Liam Byrne MP

PS: Don’t forget! There’s a by-election in Wainbody in Coventry and I’ll be out supporting our fantastic candidate Abdul Jobbar on Monday at 6pm and Saturday at 10am. For details on where they’re meeting, contact Ant on 07895000679.

RADICAL COMPASSION IN ACTION

I’ll be joining Bournville Labour Party on Friday 23 August for their annual collection for B30 Foodbank. We will be meeting at the Co-op store in Stirchley, B30 2YY. at 10 am. They have £1,000 to spend. And we will be supporting them by handing out shopping lists to further boost the collection.