Labor challenges Tories to pass their jobs plan to help Brits get back to work

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Labour's Jonathan Ashworth says he wants a Labor government to implement the plan - but challenged Jeremy Hunt to prove he does is "serious about the future of the country" Jonathan Ashworth says Labor is "the party of ideas for the future" (

Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)

Jeremy Hunt has been challenged to pass the Labor Party's jobs plan amid rising unemployment figures.

Up to 1 million young people are excluded from the labor market, and many more people over the age of 50 and those recovering want to return to work.

But shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth says under the Tories too many people are stuck on a journey from 'welfare to nowhere' - where the unemployed are caught trapped in benefits without any meaningful help to get help and support.

And he said some people trying to opt out of sickness benefits have been told to wait more than six months for a "work capacity assessment".

In a letter to Mr Hunt and Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, Mr Ashworth urged the government to reform sickness benefits and work capacity assessments and empower local communities to provide employment assistance and training.

And he called for the introduction of a 'bridge' system for people on long-term sick leave to try and get back to work, but be allowed back on benefits if that doesn't work.< /p>

Ashworth challenged Jeremy Hunt to prove he was serious about Britain's future (

Picture:

Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street)

He wrote: "Without action, you risk leaving millions of people across the country on a path to nowhere. You are reducing their opportunities and life chances and holding them back.

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"I urge you to work with me to implement my return to work support plan to expand opportunity and success across the country."

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Ashworth said putting the plan to ministers showed Labor was ‘the party of ideas for the future’.

“I can see the failure,” he said. "I can see things going wrong."

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