Almost 40 Labour MPs employ staff on zero-hours contracts despite Ed Miliband claiming they have 'no place' in Britain
- 36 Labour MPs employed staff on casual contracts last year, figures show
- Mr Miliband has criticised zero-hours contracts and firms using them
- He said: 'If you're working regular hours you should get a regular contract'
- Last year he claimed the 'Victorian' contracts had no place in 21st century
Dozens of Labour MPs employ staff on zero-hours contracts — despite Ed Miliband claiming they have 'no place in the 21st century'.
Official figures from Parliament's expenses watchdog show 36 Labour MPs employed staff on the casual contracts last year.
Some of Mr Miliband's closest allies in the Labour Party have used the contracts – including his election campaign co-ordinator Lucy Powell and parliamentary bag carrier Karen Buck – who has six staff on the contracts.
Ed Miliband claimed zero-hours contracts have 'no place in the 21st century' - even though 36 Labour MPs employ staff on them
Mr Miliband has repeatedly criticised zero-hours contracts and companies using them.
Just last week he said: 'If you are working regular hours then you should get a regular contract.'
Zerohours contracts allow a company to vary the number of hours staff can work each week or month between full-time and none at all.
Labour has insisted it is not 'exploiting' workers and the casual contracts were typically of those used to take on interns part-time.
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But the revelation is an embarrassment for Mr Miliband, who has vowed to tackle the 'epidemic' of zero-hours contracts if Labour wins power.
Last year, Mr Miliband slammed the high street giant Sports Direct, owned by Newcastle United chief Mike Ashley.
He said: 'Sports Direct has predictable turnover, it is a modern company with stores on many high streets and, judging by its success, where many people shop,' he will say.
'But for too many of its employees, Sports Direct is a bad place to work. This is not about exceptional use of zero-hours contracts for short-term or seasonal work … This is the way Sports Direct employs the vast majority of its workforce. These Victorian practices have no place in the 21st century.'
Last year Mr Miliband hit out at the high street chain Sports Direct for employing its staff on zero hours contracts
Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley has come under fire from politicians and union bosses for employing thousands of workers on zero-hours contracts
Last year it emerged even the shadow chancellor Ed Balls employed four staff on zero-hours contracts.
Several Labour-run councils also employ staff on zero hours, including Doncaster Council, the authority in Mr Miliband's constituency which admitted employing 300 people on the contracts.
Freedom of Information inquiries show that in 2013, Derby Council employed 1,333 people on the contracts, Gateshead 1,285 and Bury 3,418. All are run by Labour.
Conservative MP Julian Smith MP told MailOnline the figures exposed the 'same old do-as-we-say-not-as-we-do hypocrisy from the Labour Party'.
He said: ‘Ed Miliband might say he’s against zero hours contracts but his MPs ignore him and use them anyway. They are in chaos.
‘They have no long-term economic plan and can’t be trusted to keep any of their promises.’
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