HILTON Dawson, MP for Lancaster and Wyre, has lambasted the Conservatives over their support for scrapping the New Deal, telling them: "You don't care about jobs, you don't care about young people, you're not fit to lace their boots."

Government figures released this week show that the New Deal employment programme has helped 300 unemployed young people into work in Lancaster and Wyre since its inception in 1998. They also show youth unemployment has been reduced by 44 per cent in the past year alone.

Mr Dawson said: "Having visited numerous New Deal programmes I have been absolutely delighted to see the detailed help and support available to young people.

"It is an absolute disgrace that some Tory, who is barely old enough to be ineligible for the New Deal himself, is so uncaring about the prospects for those who haven't had the advantages available to him."