WARRINGTON can be at the front of helping grow the economy with high skilled jobs says Labour’s top business man.

Chuka Umunna met with business leaders including engineering company Boulting Group on a visit to the town to hear about what support they need to help them prosper.

And the shadow business secretary believes mobilising a work force who can make a difference for themselves and others will be a key area of recovery.

The Streatham MP said: “After we are elected we want to move from an economy which has a disproportionately high percentage of low skill, low wage jobs to an economy which has high skill, high wage jobs.

“That means we need more firms like Boulting which are at the forefront of engineering and can help us grow businesses.

“Any job is better than no job but a decent high skilled job that pays a wage you can live on is surely the prize most families want.”

And Mr Umunna also highlighted the role education and training can play in helping people find better quality jobs.

“We have to make sure we have people with the skills,” he added. “That isn’t just young people but the lost generation of 24 to 35 year olds who have been out of work for some time.

“There is an idea that employers are reluctant to step in and help people. They are not, they are here to help out and our job is to work in partnership with them.”

He was joined on the visit by Warrington South Labour parliamentary candidate Nick Bent.

He said: “I have a vision for a really prosperous future for Warrington to share in the Labour party aims to help every family get on in life.

“That isn’t going to happen unless we have a positive business community.

“It’s doing pretty well but it needs a new government to give it backing and that’s what we would offer to businesses and families in office.”