The 'new' working poor are a consequence of the last Labour Gov't in which the Millibands so enthusiastically served literally flooding the laour market with cheap overseas labour. They bought into the big business propoganda that "we can't get enough skills", deceitfully missing the real caveat, "at the lowest possible wage". And those who worked in the unskilled sector, cruelly labelled as part of Britain's 'work-shy'. What it was really all about was big business wanting to squeeze wage costs by getting the Labour Gov't to over supply workers. And as one Labour MP eventually admitted, an immigration policy also designed to "stick it to the Tories". It wasn't/isn't the fault of the migrants - they only took the opportunities made available to them. What was a below living wage for the indigenous British worker, was a highly paid wage to many newy arrived - no wonder they were better motivated & business knew it.

Now that it has all gone pear shaped, exactly how do the Millibands think they can name & shame the tens of thousands of businesses paying staff below a living wage ? Well they could start by naming & shaming the last Labour Gov't who created a new generation of working poor we now both see and feel. The Millibands are not part of the solution, they're part of the problem.

o great does this mean that people earning more that the living wage will get a conscience and accept a lower wage and living standard so that community members may also join the living in being paid a wage - signed an unemployed zombie who is being skimmed by all the corrupt corporates so that they can support their families at the end of the day while continuing to be charged interest on a supposedly interest free loan on a debt it looks like i dont stand a chance of paying off because i dont stand a chance of ever getting a job because i never fit into the right category until this world is free from corruption

Those large companies that like to pride themselves on business ethics, the ones that sign up to environmental targets and support the Prince's Trust, will come into line very smartly, if they have not done so already. They are however a very small minority and the kind of contractors who provide cleaning services and labour for agricultural work will not give a stuff about being "named and shamed"; they might even regard it as a guarantee of their competitiveness.

For a single person early on in their career living ion rough digs and someone in their 40's with 5 kids, 3 nintendo's and meat twice a week, the living wage --- and their expectations --- at totally different. So will it be a blanket policy of name and shame?

Rather than naming and shaming employers why not just shut down the evil bastard employers (fancy being so wicked as to create jobs for people in a difficult economy) and everyone can then live off the State in State jobs? What, you mean Gordon tried that already with his fatwa against SMEs?