Employment has been one of the UK’s great success stories. This week we build on that success with the introduction of a National Living Wage. An extra one thousand jobs a day were created throughout the last parliament. Unlike much of Europe and the dreadful downturns of the past, the UK avoided mass unemployment in the recession. Both in Horsham and nationally we have in fact record numbers of people in work. This is excellent news but at least some of it has come from firms (often working closely with Unions) keeping on employees in the down times but not increasing wages. In other cases employees have been taken on but in jobs much too reliant on taxpayers’ support through in-work benefits. In the recovery from the recessions of the 80’s and 90’s some people (those who stayed in work and could “keep paying the mortgage”) prospered hugely and this engendered a “feel good” factor in some areas while others in the “wrong” industry or region were left behind. The recovery of the last few years has been much broader based across the country – which is good for the economy but everyone is aware of what a long slog it has been and continues to be to sort out the economic mess. This week marks a big step forward. The National Living Wage is now active, guaranteeing all employees over 25 a minimum wage of £7.20 an hour: over 1.3 million of the lowest paid workers are receiving an immediate pay rise. The National Living Wage is expected to rise to over £9 by 2020. Not everyone views the National Living Wage positively. For some local, very responsible and decent employers, it has presented a real concern on affordability. I recognise these concerns and there is a risk that taken in isolation the National Living Wage may result in fewer people being taken on. However given the overall health of the jobs market and that we are still growing faster than any major advanced economy this is an opportunity to "give Britain a pay rise" that we are right to take.