Shadow minister backs proposal to freeze minimum wage for five years

The Guardian reported on October 16 that UK shadow business minister Andrew Sharpe endorsed a proposal from the Prosperity Institute thinktank to freeze the minimum wage for five years. AOL.com also reported on the calls from Conservatives to freeze the wage to address youth unemployment. [1][2]

In his endorsement, Sharpe stated that action is needed because almost 1 million young people are currently not in education, employment, or training, according to the Guardian. The Guardian reported that the Labour Party criticized the proposal as tin-eared, citing a report which estimated that a five-year freeze could cost low-paid workers nearly 9,000 pounds. [1]

The Conservative Party currently forms the official opposition in the United Kingdom following its general election defeat by the Labour Party in 2024. As FTMQ News reported earlier, other political parties have proposed alternative approaches to youth employment, such as a Green Party proposal to offer guaranteed two-year jobs for unemployed people under 24. [3][5]