Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn signed off an interview following a rally in Derby by wishing Nottingham Forest "good luck" ahead of the Reds' much-anticipated play-off final showdown against Huddersfield Town. Steve Cooper's side travel to Wembley on Sunday (May 29) to take on the Terriers in what's said to be the richest game in football - with promotion to the Premier League at stake.
Mr Corbyn was at a rally on Chester Green, on the outskirts of Derby city centre, on Saturday (May 21) to commemorate a meeting by Chartist George Julian Harney in 1839 when he called for workers across the UK to down tools and strike. But he closed his interview with Derbyshire Live by saying: "And good luck to Nottingham Forest!"
Speaking after the speech, the now independent MP for Islington North said members of communities, especially young people, in Derbyshire were having to get by with low wages and insecure work. He said those struggling needed extra help from the government with the cost of living crisis. And he wants people to receive higher benefits and pensions.
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Mr Corbyn said: "Derbyshire used to be a place of industry and mining, large scale employers. Now members of communities, especially young people, in the area are having to get by with low wages and Insecure work. The government should increase Universal Credit urgently so it's at least in line with rapidly rising inflation.
"They should also intervene with energy costs - the French government has introduced a price cap." Mr Corbyn added that 'levelling up', promised to voters by the prime minister, Boris Johnson, when he went up against Mr Corbyn during the 2019 general election, "simply hasn’t happened in Derbyshire".
To rectify this, he proposed the electrification of the Midland Main Line and an East Midlands Central Bank to improve transport links, distribute wealth more evenly, and support new "hi-tech industries" in small Derbyshire towns. He said: "That's a good thing, they should be supported. That keeps work in those towns, reduces commuting and therefore road, rail etc. usage. All of which can be helpful.
"I didn't know what he [Boris Johnson] meant he probably didn't know himself. The East Midlands as a region has the lowest level of central government expenditure of any economic region in the U.K., therefore that imbalance had to be corrected.
"It was about the importance of infrastructure investment, and of course housing development as well and social investment." Mr Corbyn also said that were Derby chosen as the location for Great British Rail's (GBR) new headquarters, it "would be a step forward" but he does not see why "it should all be in the same place", suggesting that that some offices could be built elsewhere in the country.
