Unemployment - "Labour have their heads in the sand" says Rosie Sharpley

6.17.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 7th Oct 2009

Rosie Sharpley with Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg MP

September's unemployment figures were a depressing milestone showing the number of people unemployed has risen to around 2.47 million, a 14 year high. What has happened to Labour's big plan to help the unemployed?

We keep hearing from Labour about funds for job creation and yet more young people are out of work than at any time since records began.

The Liberal Democrats would scrap the pointless VAT cut immediately and use the money to create paid internships for young people to prevent them becoming the lost generation of this recession.

There has been no joy from Mr Cameron's Conservatives either. Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb describes Mr Cameron as posturing stating that the "central assumption - that unemployment is simply about the workshy not applying for jobs - is ridiculous in the middle of a global recession".

There are parts of the country where there are already 100 people applying for every vacancy. So forcing more single parents and people with health problems to apply for the same jobs is far more about "posturing" than about tackling unemployment.