Why the Tories' "put people to work" growth strategy has failed

Even with high immigration, the workforce can't grow enough to compensate for catastrophic failure of innovation and capital investment.

What do you do when your economy is in the doldrums and you need to kickstart growth?

Why, you put more people to work, that’s what you do.

This has been the Tories’ strategy since 2010. The sustained attack on welfare benefits has all been focused on “making work pay” - encouraging, and at the margin forcing, people with illnesses, disabilities and cari…