Wera Hobhouse MP: ‘Forgotten 3 Million’ need support urgently

Springtime is on its way to Bath! The days are getting longer, the sun is shining a little brighter, and we have all started to glimpse a much-needed end to this season of isolation.

Vaccinations in our city are progressing well, protecting more and more people every day.

We all want to see a safe way out of lockdown. The easing of restrictions must be driven by data, not dates. We simply cannot repeat the pattern of more upturns in Covid cases followed by more lockdowns.

The end is in sight but we must remain vigilant and remember to put the safety of those who are most vulnerable first.

We are almost a year on from the first stay at home message. Aside from lost learning, many parents in Bath are concerned about the longterm impacts of school closures on their children’s mental health.

Government must set out a longterm recovery plan for schools, making sure they have the resources they need to support children and young people.

In Parliament, I added my voice to those calling on the Chancellor to support the “Forgotten 3 Million” who have been unable to access Government support during the pandemic.

The self-employed and small business population makes up 99.3 per cent of our business community.

The Government must recognise that, for many people, circumstances are not as simple as they may wish they were. The 3 million need support urgently.

Small businesses are our source of creativity and prosperity and will be central to our economic recovery. Government must understand this and act now to support these varied groups for however long is needed.

I met with local independent businesses who managed to weather the challenges of Covid but who are facing logistical obstacles to trading with the EU caused by Brexit.

They urgently need clarity and support to navigate the new regulatory landscape.

As the host of COP26, the UK should be leading the way on climate action. Emissions from homes are one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions in this country.

I challenged the Leader of the House, Jacob-rees Mogg, on failure of the Green Homes Grant – which was touted last year as the Government’s flagship policy for getting to Net Zero – and has now been scrapped.

The health of our children, and our natural environment, demand that this Government must do better.

The climate emergency is real and we must act now.

Sascha Camilli (Letters, Feb 25) asks people to consider leaving fish, as well as meat, off the dinner plate during Lent.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus eats a piece of fish in the presence of others, following the Easter resurrection. Jesus called fishermen to work as disciples or apostles. Jesus fed a hungry crowd with loaves and fishes. As a Bible believing Christian I see no firm mandate for Lenten fasting or abstinence.

The salvation secured on the Cross is freely available, to all who accept the invitation to repent and believe the good news.

The Cross speaks of the inestimable value of every human life, so the pro-life cause is of much greater importance to me than the perceived rights of any animal or fish.

Lent and Easter remind us of a truth at the heart of the Christian faith: God’s love for people.

James Hardy Belfast