This week marks 25 years since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage. It was a landmark moment for British workers. A bold, brave decision that, as a country, we believed all work has value and that all work should pay. It has lifted the pay of millions and is now recognised as one of the most successful UK Government policies of all time.

The naysayers argued that the National Minimum Wage Act, introduced in 1998 as one of the set piece priorities of Tony Blair’s government, would cause widespread unemployment as employers would be unable to afford the increased staffing costs. This never came to pass; unemployment actually fell, only turning upwards again after the Global Financial Crisis a decade later.

Instead, the minimum wage was a triumph. It meant lower paid workers’ pay rose faster than medium and higher wages, meaning the retail workers for example, are today paid an average of £6000 higher than they would have been without the legislation introducing a wage floor.

In his speech to Labour Party Conference in 1996, Tony Blair referred to the minimum wage as “merely the due claim of civilisation”. And yet Britain had indeed been uncivilised enough to survive without one for decades after comparative countries had adopted one. Without the change in government after eighteen years of Thatcher and Major, it may never have happened.

Today, after fourteen more tough years of Conservative rule – after austerity under Cameron, Brexit mess under May, party-gate under Johnson, economic disaster under Truss and stagnation under Sunak – Britain once again needs bold action to support workers. That’s why the Labour manifesto for the Election later this year will commit to our plans for a New Deal for Working People.

This is our package of measures to tackle low pay and insecurity, including the transformation of the Minimum Wage into a genuine living wage for all adult workers, ending fire and rehire, banning exploitative zero hours contracts, more support for the self-employed, encouraging family friendly workplaces, and speeding up the closure of the gender pay gap. We will also bring in the first sectoral ‘Fair Pay agreement’ in the social care sector, driving up terms and conditions.

Just as we did a quarter of a century ago, Labour is ready to grow the economy in a way that works for workers. Big problems require big solutions. We are ready to lead the change Britain needs.