A South Cumbrian MP has taken to Parliament to raise the issue of Lake District hospitality businesses struggling to recruit staff.
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, stood in the House of Commons to contribute to a debate on summer jobs.
The debate motion was brought forward by the Conservative MP Gareth Davies.
The Tory MP attacked the impact of the rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions and the effects of the Employment Rights Act 2025 on young people getting their first jobs.
Rising to speak from the benches, Mr Farron said: “In some parts of the world, including mine, many jobs are on offer, but it is hard for young people to take them up.
“Some 60% of employers in the hospitality and tourism industry in the Lake District find it difficult to recruit staff.
“One reason is the lack of public transport to get young people to the places where they are needed.
“Another reason is the lack of affordable housing. Does he [Mr Davies] recognise that this is a structural problem affecting young people everywhere, but particularly in rural areas such as Cumbria?”
In response to Mr Farron, Mr Davies said he agreed that “it is not one particular policy that impacts this issue” of getting more young people into employment.
The Tory also acknowledged the issue of poor public transport links in rural areas.
He said: “I agree that transport connectivity is a critical part of that [geographical issues stopping young people getting jobs].
“The way in which we pay for more public infrastructure, by the way, is to boost tax receipts through work, employment, enterprise and risk taking, but that point has been lost right now, because Labour’s £25 billion jobs tax has forced businesses to cut back hiring at every level, especially young people.
“Thousands of people have now been let go because of the Chancellor’s choices.”
Share