The comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 27 August 2020.
It beggars belief that the Government are threatening people like this during a pandemic. Forcing people to choose between their health and their job is unconscionable. Number 10 should condemn this briefing and categorically rule out any such campaign.
Comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 27 August 2020.
The UK’s world-leading automotive industry has been rocked by coronavirus and livelihoods are on the line. But Ministers won’t listen to reason and are refusing to recognise some sectors have been hit harder than others.
They must urgently target support at the sectors that need it with a focus on creating skilled, green jobs – and do right by the communities across the UK they promised to protect.
Anything less would be a betrayal of many communities which helped get Boris Johnson elected.
Comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 22 August 2020.
With the UK now in recession, Ministers must do all they can to stave off disaster on the high street. They have a week to change tack, and prevent shuttered high streets and a jobs meltdown. Rather than claw back these funds, Ministers should back the high street and save jobs now.
Many businesses are still in distress, with many still fully or partially shut down because of the continuing public health emergency. It’s vital that the government doesn’t think it’s job done when so many jobs and businesses are on the line.
The comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 18 August 2020.
These job losses are devastating for the workers involved yet they also tell a much bigger story about the threat to our high streets. The scale of job losses was not inevitable but the incompetence of this government means we’re now seeing wave after wave of redundancies, and store closures.
Labour has called for a Hospitality and High Streets Fightback Fund to support businesses in distress and to save jobs now. Ministers must change course.
Comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 5 August 2020.
These figures will stick in the throat of many low paid workers who have gone above and beyond during this pandemic to keep our shelves stocked, care for older people and deliver goods across our country. They have been undervalued and underpaid for years. This can’t go on.
With the looming spectre of mass unemployment, Ministers must redouble their efforts to get excessive pay under control and make sure those on low incomes who have worked so hard to keep our country running get the pay they deserve.
The text of the comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 3 August 2020.
We are seeing a wave of job losses across the high street which is not just a tragedy for the individuals and families concerned but underlines the real challenges facing retail, hospitality and leisure in our towns and cities.
With many businesses struggling, Boris Johnson’s jobs squeeze threatening those still on furlough in fully and partially shut down sectors, and the lack of support for areas facing local lockdowns, it’s vital that Ministers step up. That’s why Labour has called for a flexible furlough and a Hospitality and High Street Fightback Fund to support businesses and workers in areas and sectors in distress.
The comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 3 August 2020.
It’s devastating to hear that Hays Travel is faced with having to make almost 900 employees redundant, months after stepping in to save the jobs of those impacted by the collapse of Thomas Cook.
The government’s illogical decision to withdraw furlough support from businesses across the board, regardless of sector or circumstance, is putting so many jobs at risk.
With forecasts of a 10% unemployment rate and regular mass redundancies, it is clear the government must urgently target support where it is needed and protect people’s livelihoods.
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.
Text of the comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 24 July 2020.
Whilst these figures are encouraging overall it’s clear that large parts of the high street are really struggling, threatening jobs and livelihoods.
That’s why Labour is calling on Ministers to launch a new £1.7 billion fightback fund to protect businesses and jobs in hospitality and on the high street, by giving local areas more flexibility over how to support their local economies.
The comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, in response to Alok Sharma’s comments, on 20 July 2020.
Most of the projects in this package had been expected before the economic crisis. They will help develop the green technologies of tomorrow but government must not think that it is job done for the aerospace sector when so many jobs are at risk today.
Aerospace has been hit hard by the pandemic with demand in free fall and the industry put in a holding pattern by Ministers who have failed to provide a sector specific support package to save jobs and our world leading manufacturers.