Cambridge Labour Parliamentary spokesperson Daniel Zeichner launched a scathing attack on Conservative social policy at a Compass Living Wage Event.

Having liaised with students and local trade unions, Mr Zeichner has long campaigned for a decent living wage for Cambridge workers – particularly those employed by the University – which, he argues, Tory policy endangers.

‘Trade Unions do a good job in protecting workers, but their resources are stretched to breaking point already. What Cambridge needs is strong and consistent political pressure to ensure vulnerable workers aren’t exploited.’

‘The Tories believe – as we saw with David Cameron’s recent Hugo Young lecture – that state intervention is the problem. Go back a decade or so, and leading Conservatives made similar arguments about Minimum Wage Legislation being a disincentive to work hard. Their solution was and is to cut benefits, and make people take low-paid work.’

‘I strongly disagree. I will not see Cambridge workers cast back to the age of the workhouse – where the Poor Laws forced people to scrabble around for any job they could get, and Dickensian poverty ensued.’

‘This new Conservative social contract is a sham, cutting only one way: for the benefit of the rich, and against the poor. Instead, I encourage those truly progressive elements within all parties to put forth the case for a fair wage. The public sector can take the lead – driving up standards of pay to council, university, and health care workers to name but a few. Pay people properly: a living wage, not the workhouse!’