HYNDBURN MP Graham Jones has spoken of his desire to put an end to in-work poverty.

The Labour MP said he was ‘proud’ the last Labour government introduced the national minimum wage.

He said: “The minimum wage was originally designed to prevent extreme low pay and abuse. Today, the challenge is to help hardworking people that earn above the minimum wage but are still living in poverty or dependent on benefits.

“Over five million people, or one in five employees, are low paid. This has got worse under the Tories, with families on average £1,600 a year worse off since David Cameron became Prime Minister. And the value of the national minimum wage has declined by five per cent over the same period. Those on the lowest pay are at the sharpest end of the cost-of-living crisis.

“In-work poverty is a shocking legacy of the Tories’ four years in power and the next Labour government is determined to do something about it. ”