UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Economy

  • Lucy Powell – 2020 Comments on Pizza Express and Job Losses

    Lucy Powell – 2020 Comments on Pizza Express and Job Losses

    The comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 4 August 2020.

    The jobs crisis is clearly accelerating with redundancies being announced every day. It’s only Tuesday and just this week we’ve heard of mass redundancies in the hospitality, retail and travel sectors.

    The Government is pulling the rug out from beneath businesses by ending furlough support indiscriminately and prematurely.

    They must end their damaging blanket approach urgently, and target support at the hardest-hit sectors – or be responsible for more people losing their jobs.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2020 Comments on the Job Retention Bonus

    Rishi Sunak – 2020 Comments on the Job Retention Bonus

    Comments made by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 31 July 2020.

    Our successful furlough scheme will continue to help businesses and protect millions of jobs until the end of October – and our additional £1,000 job retention bonus will ensure this support continues as our economy reopens and people return to work.

    We will support jobs and businesses as we come out of this crisis just as we did as we came into it.

  • Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Saving British Jobs

    Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Saving British Jobs

    Comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 30 July 2020.

    The Chancellor’s refusal to abandon his one-size-fits-all withdrawal of furlough is a historic mistake that risks a python-like squeeze on jobs in the worst-hit sectors. The reward for months of hard work and sacrifice by the British people cannot be a P45.

    It’s not too late for the Chancellor to see sense, change course and support the businesses and sectors that need it most. But even if he does, there is still much to do.

    That’s why Labour is today launching the Jobs Jobs Jobs campaign – to offer concrete, constructive proposals that would protect the economy and people’s livelihoods.

    The government should back viable businesses that are still impacted by Coronavirus, support the self-employed and come up with a plan to drive job creation as we emerge from the pandemic.

    And it must ensure our NHS and care services are fully prepared for a second wave – because we won’t recover from this economic crisis until the government gets a grip on the health crisis.

  • Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Government’s Public Sector Recruitment

    Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Government’s Public Sector Recruitment

    The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 29 July 2020.

    It feels pretty rich for the Prime Minister to talk of valuing the public sector when the Covid-19 crisis has shown just how starkly his Government has let down our NHS and social care workers.

    Let’s not forget that the reason the Prime Minister needs to launch a recruitment drive is because Conservative governments have cut our public services to the bone.

    If the Government is serious about attracting people to work in the public sector then he needs to show that he values those who already do, giving them the equipment they need and the pay talks they deserve.

  • Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments about Loans to Businesses in Difficulty

    Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments about Loans to Businesses in Difficulty

    The comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary, on 30 July 2020.

    Any help in breaking down the obstacles to loans is welcome but this has all taken far too long with too many businesses left out in the cold. Time will tell whether this sorts out the growing backlog of CBILs loans.

    There also remain serious, unaddressed problems of loans for larger firms, CBILs, and growing evidence of firms being shut out of bounce back loans unless they are an existing customer of a major high street bank.

    Every week that passes with these problems being allowed to continue puts at risk the future of businesses, the livelihoods of workers and the strength of our economy.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2020 Comments on Steve Barclay’s Onward Speech

    Bridget Phillipson – 2020 Comments on Steve Barclay’s Onward Speech

    The comments made by Bridget Phillipson, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 28 July 2020.

    Steve Barclay has admitted what everyone already knows: the one-size-fits-all Tory economic policy simply won’t match the challenges we face ahead.

    We urgently need tailored support for the sectors that need it most. It shouldn’t have taken the Government months to work this out.

  • Paul Scully – 2020 Comments on Social Mobility

    Paul Scully – 2020 Comments on Social Mobility

    Text of the comments made by Paul Scully, the Minister for Small Business, on 28 July 2020.

    Creating opportunities through education, work and training is at the heart of our ambition to level up all parts of the UK economy, enabling people from all walks of life to reach their full potential.

    Businesses not only provide jobs and skills but can also be a force for creating lasting social change, and we want to recognise that in the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

  • Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments on the Largest Recession for 300 Years

    Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments on the Largest Recession for 300 Years

    Text of comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on 28 July 2020.

    While it’s welcome that retail sales figures are up, we cannot be complacent with many parts of the sector still struggling. These figures reinforce the cause for concern for many non-food retailers including clothing, furniture and shoe shops.

    The UK is facing the biggest recession in 300 years and we are seeing a wave of redundancies. High streets are the backbone of communities across the country, and their continued vitality is absolutely essential to local economies and livelihoods.

    If the government is serious about protecting the high street, they should back up their words with deeds. Labour is calling on ministers to put in place a new £1.7 billion fightback fund, which will give local communities the flexibility to support their local businesses.

  • Marsha de Cordova – 2020 Comments on Financial Inequality

    Marsha de Cordova – 2020 Comments on Financial Inequality

    The comments made by Marsha de Cordova, the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, on 28 July 2020.

    This new evidence shows that working time inequality between lower and higher-income households was worsening even before the crisis hit.

    The Government must carry out and publish an Equality Impact Assessment of the financial and social measures it has taken so far to support people through the pandemic.

    It’s vital to prevent lower-income households bearing the brunt of the crisis when they were already doing less paid work than high-income households and many wanted to be doing more.

    With the gap in total hours of paid work between high and low-income households growing, Labour will continue to push for a response that stops families from falling into hardship.

  • Gerry Grimstone – 2020 Comments on Tech for Growth

    Gerry Grimstone – 2020 Comments on Tech for Growth

    Comments made by Gerry Grimstone (Baron Grimstone of Boscobel), UK Minister for Investment, on 27 July 2020.

    Diversifying and increasing trade and investment in sectors such as tech will be crucial for economic recovery from Coronavirus, and Britain has a vital role to play globally.

    The UK is home to some of the most innovative tech companies in the world while also being one of the deepest and most globally connected financial centres. It is why we are the top choice for tech firms seeking a base to launch internationally into new markets.

    This programme will further deepen our trade relationships with some of the most exciting emerging markets around the world, and lead to solutions that address one of the most prominent global challenges in today’s world, financial inclusion.