TUC on David Cameron's speech in Manchester

date: 2 October 2013

embargo: For immediate release

Commenting on David Cameron's speech today (Wednesday) to the Conservative conference in Manchester, TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady said:

'Voters will have been disappointed by the Prime Minister's failure to address the living standards crisis. The strong hints that the conference would deliver support for a better minimum wage and spreading the living wage came to nothing - dashing hopes of an all-party consensus.

'Prime ministers should be able to tell the difference between profit made by investment and innovation in competitive markets and that made by ripping off consumers, exploiting workers, rigging markets and dodging tax.

'We need more of the former and less of the latter, but with new figures today showing investment at its lowest level since the 1950s rebalancing the economy looks a long way off.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics showed that the proportion of total expenditure accounted for by spending on investment has fallen to its lowest level since the 1950s (source: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/elmr/economic-review/october-2013/art-octoberer.html#tab-abstract)

- The TUC's campaign plan can be downloaded from www.tuc.org.uk/campaignplan

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Gibson T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: egibson@tuc.org.uk