Catherine McKinnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Treasury Minister, responding to Treasury analysis on women in the economy, said:

“Women are worse off after four years of David Cameron’s government. The gender pay gap is widening again and House of Commons Library figures show George Osborne’s Budget decisions have hit women a staggering four times harder than men.

“We know that 60 per cent of those on low pay are women, as are 54 per cent of those on zero-hours contracts. And, as the OBR said last week, we have stagnating wages and too many people in low-paid jobs which is leading to more borrowing.

“Yet now the Tories want to cut tax credits again for working women on modest incomes, while keeping a £3 billion tax cut for the very highest earners – 85 per cent of whom are men.

“Labour’s economic plan will expand free childcare for working parents to 25 hours per week, raise the minimum wage and tackle the gender pay gap.”

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