Don't let gaffes obscure facts; Deputy Prime Minister JOHN PRESCOTT

NOT for the first time, some papers had fun last week with the way I mix up my words. I can't deny I do but I've never had a problem making myself understood.

I put it down to the fact I've got so much to say about what the Government's doing and so little time to say it, that the words come out garbled sometimes.

But it happens often enough, you would hardly think it's news. And particularly when there was so little time or space on TV and in many newspapers for last week's jobless figures.

Now I suppose the Government should take it as a compliment that falling unemployment is now no longer considered news by many in the media. It's proof of our success in building the long-term economic stability in which new jobs can be created and living standards improve.

So I wouldn't be at all surprised if Wednesday's figures - showing the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in 25 years - passed many Sunday Mirror readers by. But they are certainly more important than me tripping over my own tongue again.

Unemployment now stands at 1,069,000. Some contrast with the three million who were put out of work under the Tories.

And perhaps, even better news were figures showing that more people are in work in Britain then ever before - a million more than at the election. That's the equivalent of a new job created every two minutes.

Compare that with Tory predictions of a million jobs lost because of the minimum wage.

Now, unlike most Tories, I know about working for poverty wages and did so when I was a cook.

So I'm proud of the fact it was this Labour Government which introduced the first ever minimum wage. And proud, too, of the fact there are a million more jobs not a million less.

But there are still too many people out of work or who face the worry of redundancy.

So there can't be any complacency if we are to extend opportunity and security for all.

It's not in the power of Government to protect every job. But it is in our power to support those hit by redundancy and give the help and training needed for those out of work to find jobs - and that's what we are doing.

And more importantly, we will continue creating the conditions where businesses prosper so they can create more jobs. This economic stability, rising employment and prosperity have not come about by accident.

They are a result of the often difficult choices this Government took to tackle boom-and-bust which has damaged this country so much over the decades.

By taking the hard decisions, we've sorted out the financial chaos the Tories left.

Inflation is low and on target - and interest rates are half the level they reached under the Tories.

And because more people are in work, we don't have to spend so much on economic and social failure. Because we've cut Tory debts, we're now paying billions of pounds less in debt payments - pounds 5 billion a year less by 2004.

That means we can afford record amounts of investment - now and in the future - on schools, hospitals, and fighting crime.

It also means we can double the public investment in our transport system to put our 10-year plan to get Britain moving again, to build a fair and more prosperous country.

The only people who don't understand all this are the Tories. They want to slash investment by pounds 16 billion. A cut of around| pounds 24 million in the schools and hospitals of every constituency.

I'm sure William Hague and his party are hoping for a news black- out over their plans. But I promise they will be disappointed.

This Government will continue getting its policies right in every interview or speech.

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