LAST week, I spoke at a conference organised by Bolton Institute to discuss social inclusion.

I spoke about the policies the government is introducing to create a more inclusive society. A key strategy to achieving this goal has been the New Deal for the Unemployed.

The July unemployment statistics indicate that the government's strategy of opportunity for all is working. Since the last election a million more people have moved into jobs. This is a real milestone and a major step towards our goal of full employment.

This has not come easy. It is down to tough choices and Labour's handling of the economy. The New Deal has helped 216,000 young people off benefit and into work. Long term unemployment has fallen by 70pc since the election. In my constituency alone, unemployment has fallen by a massive 60pc since the last election.

Our opponents have been quick to criticise the New Deal, but slow on telling us what their alternative is. In fact, both the Lib Dems and Tories have opposed this from the very start and fought tooth and nail against the windfall tax on fat cat profits which funded the New Deal.

If we had succumbed to their pressure, this money which is now bringing hope and security for unemployed people in Bolton would have funded inflated bonuses and profits. Despite its success, the Tories are still committed to scrapping it, consigning thousands of people to a life on benefit

One final point worth remembering is that when he was Employment Secretary, Michael Portillo predicted that a Labour Government would lose a million jobs. Then he upped that to two million. In fact, with Labour in government more people are in work than ever before, and dole queues are at a 20-year low.

Labour believes everyone should have opportunity regardless of background, whereas the Tories were happy to write people off into a life of poverty and benefit dependency.