On Monday, the Prime Minister provided the House of Commons with government’s plan for exiting lockdown. While I appreciate we are all desperate to return to normal life, I do fear that Boris Johnson is repeating previous mistakes. This has got to be the last lockdown. The best way to make sure the vaccine is a success is to ensure we proceed slowly, with caution and that we follow the scientific advice. Of course, we want all children back on March 8, and the government needs to do everything possible to keep children learning once they return. But that means a testing system that works, ventilation and the use of nightingale classrooms. It is disappointing the government missed an opportunity to vaccinate teachers at half term. I will use my voice to urge caution and make sure we don’t squander the opportunities provided by the brilliant vaccine rollout.
The chancellor will deliver his Budget next Wednesday. This is always a key event in the parliamentary calendar, made more important by the pandemic. The crisis has pulled back the curtain on the conservatives’ insecure economy. We’ve had the worst death toll in Europe and the worst economic crisis of any major economy because the conservatives weakened our country’s foundations. The priority for our community must now be providing people and businesses with financial security for the duration of this pandemic – starting with extending furlough, the business rates holiday and the VAT cut for the hospitality, retail and leisure industries. The government must also support the three million people who have been excluded from financial support so far which includes many self-employed. I would also like to see investment in electric vehicle infrastructure, funding for a mass council house building programme, the £20 universal credit uplift kept in place, as well as a well-deserved pay rise for keyworkers – to start building the kind of post-pandemic society we all want to see.
Matt Western
