Employment opportunities: a key issue for Hackney and beyond

This morning I was out in Hackney with the Green Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones and Hackney Central candidate and youth worker Mustafa Korel. We launched our policies on jobs and employment.

This is a major issue in Hackney, youth unemplyment has been rising over the last 4 years and is now at its highest for 15 years. Hackney is one of the poorest areas in London and is in real need of policies to reduce the gap between rich and poor and help young people find employment.

In a time when Londoners and Hackney citizens are being squeezed by rising bills and having to find alternative means to supplement their income, it’s vital that we create jobs and support small traders. I know that Green Assembly Members elected in May will fight to ensure that every young person in London is offered a job or apprenticeship and will  support strong investment and protection of local economies.  
Greens on the Assembly have already introduced planning protections for small shops through two major investigations.

By electing more Greens in May we can boost local jobs, rebalance our economy and build thriving communities.

Policies include:
- Keeping jobs and money in the local economy: Commission research into “buy local” schemes and work with boroughs and trade bodies to promote those that work.
- Supporting independent shops: Lobby the Government to give local authorities more powers to prevent chain stores taking over independent shops, and introduce a presumption against purpose-built supermarket car parks and ensure local shops aren’t disadvantaged by parking standards
- Support for enterprise: Focus City Hall’s economic development budget on support for small businesses and cooperatives to support their expansion, ensure micro and small businesses are properly represented on London’s Local Enterprise Partnership
- Establish a Community Enterprise Zone: Ensuring the infrastructure exists to support small and social enterprises. Maintain the CompeteFor system helping micro and small enterprises bid for public sector contracts.
- Investment in apprenticeships and skills across industries: create at least 150,000 high-quality apprenticeships aimed at young people under 25 playing at least the London Living Wage and call for the Government to make apprenticeships mandatory across a wide range of industries