Making sure our economy grows is the best way out of the recession, the best way to tackle the deficit, and the best way to help people work and earn a decent living to support themselves and their families.

Helping to bring new jobs to Leicester West is one of my top priorities. I want to support and encourage businesses to start up here, through better incentives, transport links and infrastructure.

We also need to make sure people have the skills and training they need to get new jobs. Labour’s Future Jobs Fund is already helping 727 young people in Leicester who’ve been unemployed for more than 12 months, to get a job by May this year. Organisations like Leicester Stride are giving young people work and new skills in construction, motor vehicles and catering. And Leicester City Council is employing 250 young people through the FJF, including to do work on repairs and refurbishment in local social housing.

I want to help make sure every young person in Leicester West is in education, training or work. That’s why I’m backing Labour’s guarantee to young people of an education or training place if they’re up to 18 years old, and a job or training place if they are 18 – 24 years and have been unemployed for more than 6 months.