Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, responding to the Conservative Party describing themselves the ‘worker’s party’, said:

“You can’t pose as the ‘workers’ party’ when you’ve made working people £1,600 worse off while cutting taxes for the wealthiest. Under David Cameron, for the first time more than half of households in poverty are in work. He has made his choice: standing up for a privileged few, not for working families.

“Labour has always been the workers’ party - the clue is in the name. That’s why we’ll strengthen the minimum wage, increase free childcare for working parents and introduce a compulsory jobs guarantee for young people unemployed for over a year.

“Asking John Major for help is just a reminder that he was the last Tory leader to win an election - and that Tory MPs don’t believe they can win under David Cameron. With David Cameron’s record as leader they’d be better off renaming themselves the millionaires’ party.”