HYNDBURN and Haslingden MP Graham Jones has spoken of his pride at the Labour party’s plans to tackle the rising cost of living.

Labour lead Ed Miliband yesterday launched the ‘Cost of Living Contract’, a set of measures that would be taken to ease the cost of living crisis, if Labour win power at next year’s general election.

They include freezing energy prices, building 200,000 new homes, introducing long-term predictable tenancies, cutting income tax and business rates, banning zero-hour contracts, and guaranteeing young people jobs and apprenticeships.

Mr Jones said: “I am proud that as part of the Cost of Living Contract, Ed Miliband has announced Labour’s plans to get to grips with the insecurity and naked profiteering which is all too common in the private rented housing sector.

“I have for a long time campaigned on this issue, and it is something which will only grow in importance in the future as more and more of the UK’s housing stock ends up in the rented sector.”

He continued: “Longer-term rental contracts, with predictable indexed rent increases will mean greater security for renters, more power in the hands of the tenants and an end to yearly rip-off rent increases.

“This is real action that would help my constituents directly and I am proud that Labour sees the real problems that this country is facing.”