Mike Treleaven condemns Conservative M.Ps comments on low pay report as insensitive and negative

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Nov 2003

A report issued by the GMB union shows that South Devon has, for the first time, come bottom of the pay league in the West Country. Commenting on the report Totnes Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, Mike Treleaven said

' This report confirms what we have known for a long time - South Devon has a low wage economy largely due to its reliance on the tourism and retail industries. What we desperately need is investment and employment opportunities to provide the high paid jobs that the area needs and that is what we should all be working for'

He continued:

' The reported comments by Anthony Steen that 'By forcing wages up you make the area more expensive. There's a minimum wage anyway so everyone is getting that' - are insensitive and negative to say the least. How does he think people are going to continue to live and work in South Devon? We have a combination of low wages, high house prices and high service costs. People already have considerable difficulty in making ends meet with more and more moving out of the area because they can no longer afford to live here. As our M.P. Mr. Steen should be fighting for the investment and jobs we need, not accepting low wages as a fact of life'