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  • Robert Jenrick – 2020 Comments on Business Evictions

    Robert Jenrick – 2020 Comments on Business Evictions

    The comments made by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 9 December 2020.

    I am extending protections from the threat of eviction for businesses unable to pay their rent until March 2021, taking the length of these measures to one year. This will help them recover from the impact of the pandemic and plan for the future.

    This support is for the businesses struggling the most during the pandemic, such as those in hospitality – however, those that are able to pay their rent should do so.

    We are witnessing a profound adjustment in commercial property. It is critical that landlords and tenants across the country use the coming months to reach agreements on rent wherever possible and enable viable businesses to continue to operate.

  • Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Connor Barrass

    Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Connor Barrass

    The comments made by Michael Ellis, the Solicitor General, on 9 December 2020.

    Barrass’ actions were shocking and despicable. The Court of Appeal’s decision to increase his sentence recognises his victim’s distressing and harmful ordeal.

  • Liz Truss – 2020 Comments on UK and Canada Trade Deal

    Liz Truss – 2020 Comments on UK and Canada Trade Deal

    The comments made by Liz Truss, the Secretary of State for International Trade, on 9 December 2020.

    This is a brilliant deal for Global Britain. It secures £20bn worth of trade with a friend and ally that shares our commitment to free enterprise, democracy and free trade. It provides certainty for car and food and drink exporters in particular, and paves the way for a more advanced deal that goes further and faster in modern areas like digital and data, women’s economic empowerment and the environment.

    The deal also takes us a step closer to joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high standards agreement of 11 dynamic Pacific nations. Membership would deepen market access for our businesses, help turn us into a global hub for tech and services trade, and strengthen the global consensus for rules-based free trade.

  • Lucy Powell – 2020 Comments on Brexit Readiness

    Lucy Powell – 2020 Comments on Brexit Readiness

    The comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 9 December 2020.

    It’s unsurprising that so many businesses aren’t sure they will be ready for the end of the transition period. Businesses are in the dark and trying to prepare for January 1 without knowing what they’re preparing for.

    Boris Johnson promised businesses across this country an oven-ready deal and he must get on and deliver it.

  • Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments on Delays at Ports

    Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments on Delays at Ports

    The comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business Secretary, on 9 December 2020.

    Businesses have been sounding the alarm for weeks about the problems at ports. While there are pressures caused by Covid-19 all over the world, no other country is facing the kind of uncertainty we are around the end of the transition period.

    With businesses still not knowing whether there is going to be a deal, and the exact nature of any deal, it is throwing massive uncertainty into their decision making. The government must take responsibility for having left the country in this position, not keep putting the burden of blame on businesses.

    Car production halting, Christmas presents possibly going undelivered, and food supplies being thrown out are terrible for businesses across our country. And there is a real worry that unless the Government listens and urgently acts, the disruption today will just be the tip of the iceberg.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2020 Comments on Boeing-Airbus Dispute

    Emily Thornberry – 2020 Comments on Boeing-Airbus Dispute

    The comments made by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow International Trade Secretary, on 9 December 2020.

    Whatever long-term hopes of a US trade deal may lie behind this announcement, and whatever the truth about the legal advice the government has received, the immediate facts and consequences are clear.

    Liz Truss is unilaterally capitulating in a dispute caused in part by unlawful US subsidies, even while those subsidies are – in the words of her own statement – continuing to cause significant harm to Airbus, a vital business and employer for our country.

    She is doing so with no apparent guarantees that the harm being done to Airbus will come to an end any time soon, and with no public assurances from Washington that punitive US tariffs on Scotch whisky and other UK exports will be removed in response.

    We are therefore left to hope against all prior evidence that the government knows what it is doing, because on the surface of this announcement, Liz Truss is leaving Airbus, the Scotch Whisky industry, and their thousands of employees totally undefended in this dispute, while receiving absolutely nothing from the US in return.

  • Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Amir Mohamed

    Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Amir Mohamed

    The comments made by Michael Ellis, the Solicitor General, on 8 December 2020.

    Heroin and cocaine are deadly substances pushed by unscrupulous dealers. The offender was carrying a significant amount of Class A drugs with the intention of selling them for profit. This trade is ravaging our communities, and today’s decision by the Court of Appeal is welcome and sends a message that a custodial sentence will ordinarily follow street dealing.

  • Priti Patel – 2020 Comments on Bahrain Trip

    Priti Patel – 2020 Comments on Bahrain Trip

    The comments made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, on 8 December 2020.

    It was a pleasure to visit Bahrain, a country with which the UK’s close and important relationship has flourished for more than 200 years.

    I am committed to supporting Bahrain as it continues to make important reforms, and both our nations will work closely together to promote peace and security in the Gulf region and across the world.

  • Keir Starmer – 2020 Christmas Card Message

    Keir Starmer – 2020 Christmas Card Message

    The Christmas Card message from Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 8 December 2020.

    The clap for carers was a moment of huge national solidarity, and we continue to owe our carers and key workers a huge debt of gratitude. Their courage and dedication in the face of this virus has been truly incredible.

    This Christmas, carers and emergency workers, alongside our Armed Forces and other key workers, will step up yet again. They will sacrifice precious time with their families to keep us safe.

    We must repay them, not just with our gratitude, but by fighting for fair pay and conditions for all those who have given so much to help our country through this pandemic.

  • Louise Haigh – 2020 Comments on Northern Ireland Protocol

    Louise Haigh – 2020 Comments on Northern Ireland Protocol

    The comments made by Louise Haigh, the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 8 December 2020.

    This is a welcome step forward, after months of crippling uncertainty for Northern Ireland. An agreement, not reckless threats, has always been the responsible way forward. Huge challenges remain to implement the Protocol by January 1st, and the Government must now work flat out to help businesses prepare, deliver the much-needed detail, and ensure the new arrangements impact as little as possible on Northern Ireland.