Labour: UK Apprentice For Each Foreign Worker

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Ed Miliband has launched a Labour fightback after a difficult summer - with policy pledges on the economy and immigration.

The party leader announced plans to increase fines for employers who fail to pay the minimum wage and force bosses to train an apprentice if they hire a foreign worker.

The moves come on the opening day of Labour's conference in Brighton, at which the party will attempt to spell out a series of policies which appeal to voters.

Mr Miliband addresses the crowd in Brighton

The conference begins with the party's high command reeling over the damaging revelations of plots, smears and feuds in the memoirs of Gordon Brown's spin doctor Damian McBride.

It also follows a summer in which senior party figures were accused of being invisible and a gradual shrinking of Labour's opinion poll lead over the Conservatives.

Senior Labour figures claim the new policy announcements signal a new approach on the economy and a new approach on immigration.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Miliband said the Labour Party was "changing under my leadership" and had "learned lessons from the past".

He said: "I want a high wage British economy, not a low wage brutish economy. We've got plans to make that happen, to drive up skills.

"So we are going to say to any firm that wants to bring in a foreign worker that they also have to train up someone who is a local worker, training up the next generation.

"We think that can create up to 125,000 new apprenticeships over the course of five years and that is a massive boost for skills for our young people."

Mr Miliband said the tenfold increase in fines for the minimum wage would "stop the exploitation which undercuts workers that are already here".

He said: "At the moment the maximum fine is £5,000. If you do flytipping the maximum fine is £50,000.

"So we are going to say: maximum fine £50,000 for employers who systematically abuse the minimum wage.

"We are going to take action in the care sector where up to 220,0000 are not being paid the minimum wage, that's a third of the workforce."

He added: "We are going to stop that exploitation, we are going to drive up skills and that's the way to make our economy work for working people in Britain."

In an interview with The Observer, Mr Miliband said he complained about Mr McBride's behaviour to Mr Brown.

Mr McBride (far left) with Gordon Brown

"I complained to Gordon about what Damian was up to," he said. "I was worried by him and I said to Gordon I was worried by him."

A new opinion poll also makes worrying reading for the Labour leadership.

A year after Mr Miliband launched his "One Nation" slogan, nearly half of voters, 47%, say they don't know what it means, according to a ComRes poll for The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror.

On voting intentions Labour's lead over the Tories is barely changed, at eight points: Con 28% (0), Lab 36% (-1), UKIP 17% (-2), LD 10% (+2) and Others 9% (+1)

But Mr Miliband's ratings are poor, with 52% saying that he doesn't have the qualities to be an effective prime minister.

However, more people say they and their families would be better off if Labour won the election (30%) than if the Conservatives did (22%).

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