The comments made by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 26 December 2020.
We are supporting our high streets to get through this pandemic through business grants, paying people’s wages and tax deferrals.
The Future High Streets Fund will help areas bounce back through regeneration projects that level up opportunities and create jobs right across the country.
The comments made by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 26 December 2020.
The year ahead will be a big one for the high street as it seeks to recover, adapt and evolve as a result of the pandemic. Today’s £830 million investment from the Future High Streets Fund is one of many ways the government is working to help our much-loved town centres get through this and prosper into the future.
The role of high street has always evolved. We want to support that change and make sure that they are the beating heart of their local community – with high quality housing and leisure in addition to shops and restaurants.
This investment will help us build back better and make town centres a more attractive place to live, work and visit.
The comments made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, on 25 December 2020.
The safety and security of UK citizens is the Government’s top priority and the UK will continue to be one of the safest countries in the world. I’m immensely proud of the comprehensive package of capabilities we’ve agreed with the EU. It means both sides have effective tools to tackle serious crime and terrorism, protecting the public and bringing criminals to justice. But we will also seize this historic opportunity to make the UK safer and more secure through firmer and fairer border controls.
The comments made by Lucy Powell, Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 26 December 2020.
Pubs are a vital part of Britain’s high streets. They bring people together and help communities thrive. They’ve had the toughest of years as a result of the pandemic and, if the government doesn’t step up and put a proper support plan in place to secure their future, it will be last orders for many.
Boris Johnson is failing our pubs. His glass half empty approach is a real threat to their future. Labour is calling on the government to use part of the £2 billion supermarkets are returning to set up a Hospitality and High Streets Fightback Fund to save businesses and jobs now.
Below is the Labour Party’s press release on pubs:
Not such a Merry Christmas as majority of Britain’s pubs and bars miss out on billions in sales
Labour warns of ‘last orders’ for pubs as government ‘glass half empty’ approach fails to provide adequate support to closed businesses on the high street
New analysis shows cash crisis facing pubs with an estimated £3.8 billion of lost income in crucial Christmas period
36,000 pubs in England have been forced to close – or 9 out of 10 pubs in England
Labour is calling for a Hospitality and High Street Fightback Fund that would boost cash support to pubs and hospitality sector saving jobs and livelihoods
New analysis by the Labour party has revealed that 93 per cent, or 9 out of 10 pubs in England, have been forced to shut and are set to lose out on thousands of pounds in trade over the critical Christmas period.
85 per-cent of pubs in England were closed in the run up to Christmas. This number will jump to 93 per-cent – with over 3,000 more pubs closed from (today) Boxing Day after new restrictions came into force across large parts of the country.
In November and December last year, pubs and bars across the UK made £3.8 billion in sales to tide them through the first quarter of 2020.
The Party is warning that thousands of pubs could go bust as they have seen takings tumble, debt mount up, and cash reserves reduced during the coronavirus crisis. The turnover for pubs and bars to August 2020 was less than half of what it was in 2019.
The failure of government to properly support pubs means that three quarters of pubs are receiving up to half the amount of cash support that they received in the first national lockdown. This comes after months of reduced sales and the cost of making themselves Covid-safe pushing many to the brink of bankruptcy.
Labour has urged the government to use a portion of the £2 billion in business rate relief that supermarkets have pledged to return to the Treasury to establish a Hospitality and High Streets Fightback Fund targeted at those firms that have been hardest hit throughout the crisis. Labour is calling for the remainder to be used to immediately support self-employed people excluded from support throughout this crisis.
The party is also calling for reform of the unfair Additional Restrictions Grant so that funding is allocated to supply chain businesses based on which Tier a local area is in and how long they have been in it, to reflect business need.
The Queen’s Christmas Broadcast from 25 December 2020.
Every year we herald the coming of Christmas by turning on the lights. And light does more than create a festive mood —light brings hope.
For Christians, Jesus is ‘the light of the world’, but we can’t celebrate his birth today in quite the usual way. People of all faiths have been unable to gather as they would wish for their festivals, such as Passover, Easter, Eid, and Vaisakhi. But we need life to go on. Last month, fireworks lit up the sky around Windsor, as Hindus, Sikhs and Jains celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, providing joyous moments of hope and unity — despite social distancing.
Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer. Across the Commonwealth, my family and I have been inspired by stories of people volunteering in their communities, helping those in need.
In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit. To our young people in particular I say thank you for the part you have played.
This year, we celebrated International Nurses’ Day, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. As with other nursing pioneers like Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale shone a lamp of hope across the world. Today, our front-line services still shine that lamp for us – supported by the amazing achievements of modern science – and we owe them a debt of gratitude. We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that – even on the darkest nights – there is hope in the new dawn.
Jesus touched on this with the parable of the Good Samaritan. The man who is robbed and left at the roadside is saved by someone who did not share his religion or culture. This wonderful story of kindness is still as relevant today. Good Samaritans have emerged across society showing care and respect for all, regardless of gender, race or background, reminding us that each one of us is special and equal in the eyes of God.
The teachings of Christ have served as my inner light, as has the sense of purpose we can find in coming together to worship.
In November, we commemorated another hero – though nobody knows his name. The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior isn’t a large memorial, but everyone entering Westminster Abbey has to walk around his resting place, honouring this unnamed combatant of the First World War — a symbol of selfless duty and ultimate sacrifice. The Unknown Warrior was not exceptional. That’s the point. He represents millions like him who throughout our history have put the lives of others above their own, and will be doing so today. For me, this is a source of enduring hope in difficult and unpredictable times.
Of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness: some mourning the loss of those dear to them, and others missing friends and family-members distanced for safety, when all they’d really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand. If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.
The Bible tells how a star appeared in the sky, its light guiding the shepherds and wise men to the scene of Jesus’s birth. Let the light of Christmas — the spirit of selflessness, love and above all hope — guide us in the times ahead.
It is in that spirit that I wish you a very happy Christmas.
The comments made by Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s Chief Negotiator on Brexit, on 24 December 2020.
The clock is no longer ticking.
After 4.5 years of collective effort and #EU unity:
To preserve peace on the island of Ireland. To protect citizens and the Single Market. To build a new partnership with the UK.
Thank you all.
The comments made by Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, on 24 December 2020.
Once again I find myself out of sync with the Labour whip and direction from shadow cabinet. I had hoped this would change in 2020. I have until 30th (my birthday!) to decide what to do. Happy Christmas!
The comments made by Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 December 2020.
Thanks to a huge effort from the NHS to overcome significant logistical challenges, 616,933 people across the UK have had their jab of the coronavirus vaccine.
In just over 3 weeks, the NHS in every part of the UK has already set up hundreds of vaccination sites to ensure those most in need can receive their jab as quickly as possible.
This is just the beginning and we are continually expanding our vaccination programme to help everyone get back to normal in the future.
The comments made by Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 24 December 2020.
As the Prime Minister has announced, we will be setting up a UK-wide replacement for Erasmus+. It’s outlook will be global, not limited to the EU, and the programme will incorporate opportunities which reflect the government’s promise to level up the country.
A statement made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, and the Foreign Office, on 24 December 2020.
The UK, side by side with the Government of Gibraltar, has held constructive discussions with Spain regarding future relationship issues relating to Gibraltar. All sides acknowledged the challenging nature of this process at the outset of talks. Although an agreement has not yet been reached on Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU, we will continue our discussions with Spain to safeguard Gibraltar’s interests, and those of the surrounding region.
In addition, we are also working closely with the Government of Gibraltar, in discussion with Spain and the EU, to mitigate the effects of the end of the Transition Period on Gibraltar. We are totally committed to protecting Gibraltar’s interests. That includes ensuring border fluidity, which is clearly in the best interests of the communities that live on both sides.