THE MP for Delyn has said he is ‘infuriated’ by another rise in unemployment for his constituents.

Figures reveal that the total number of unemployed claimants in the Delyn constituency for March 2019 was 1,200 – accounting for 3.7% of the economically active population aged 16-64.

The equivalent UK claimant rate was 3.4%. The UK unemployment rate, which includes people not claiming benefits and is estimated from survey data, was 3.9% in December 2018 to February 2019.

David Hanson MP said: “The uncertainty being caused by the UK Government’s mishandling of our national economy is infuriating. Whilst the Conservative Party argues amongst itself over who should be Prime Minister and what version of Brexit it can agree on jobs are being lost. Delyn is feeling the brunt of their mismanagement as we are a community with a heavy reliance on manufacturing jobs – jobs that the UK Government tells us the care passionately about but when push comes to shove do very little to support.

“We have a higher unemployment rate than the UK as an average now. This should wake the UK Government up to the fact that employers and employees need greater support in North Wales. Be that investment in our road and rail crossings into England or support for new businesses to establish themselves in Delyn.”

The number of claimants in Delyn constituency is 245 higher than March 2018 and 30 higher than February 2019.

There were 250 claimants aged 18-24 in March 2019, 35 higher than March 2018.

Mr Hanson added: “As I keep telling Ministers in Parliament when they shout how pleased they are with unemployment figures, these numbers do not show the huge burden those in employment are also facing. We have record number of people in agency work or on zero hours contracts. These two forms of employment systematically strip people of their working rights and seek out to establish low-pay but into our economy. People need a real living wage and zero hours must be abolished.

“If the unemployment rate keeps increasing, as it has thus far, greater pressures will be placed on Flintshire County Council and the Welsh Government. Both have tried their best to drive up demand in our local economy, but they can only succeed if they have the support of a Westminster Government who wants to rebalance the economy from South East England to the UK as a whole.”