A NORTH East MP has accused David Cameron of “destroying” the regions of Britain.
Speaking in Parliament, Blaydon MP Dave Anderson said the Prime Minister had a plan of “inaction” when it came to supporting regions like the North East.
And he asked why European leaders would trust him when he was devastating parts of his own country as Mr Cameron answered MPs’ questions over the recent G20 summit of world leaders.
Mr Cameron admitted there were “difficult circumstances” faced by different parts of the country – but insisted the economy was being rebalanced in favour of the North East.
Mr Anderson’s attack came after think tank IPPR North said that 32,000 public sector jobs had been lost in the North as Government jobs increased in the South. The think tank said there were 32,000 fewer public sector jobs in the North East in the 12 months running up to this summer.
But it said that London saw an increase of 8,000 public sector jobs with another 24,000 jobs in the South East, based on figures provided by the Office for National Statistics.
Labour MP Dave Anderson said: “Another report came out today from the Institute for Public Policy Research showing that 32,000 jobs in the public sector were lost in the North East last year while the number of private sector jobs also went down, and the number of public sector jobs in London and the South East went up.”
He added: “Why should the Europeans trust the action plan from the Prime Minister when his inaction plan in this country is destroying the regions of this country?”
Mr Cameron said: “Of course there has to be a rebalancing of public sector and private sector jobs in our economy, and of course there are difficult circumstances faced by different parts of the country.
“But in the North East we have seen the expansion of the Nissan plant, and we have the new Hitachi train plant going into the North East as well.
“What we need to do as a country is to become more competitive – to start manufacturing and making things again, which will benefit all the regions of our country.”
