Starmer’s warning of ‘ a wave of winter job losses’
Return of coronavirus a failure by Tories, he says
LABOUR LEADER Sir Keir Starmer said the “huge gap” left in financial support after further coronavirus measures were announced this week could lead to a wave of job losses this winter.
In a televised broadcast advertised as a “right of reply” to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s national address on Tuesday, Sir Keir last night hit out at the Government and said: “While these restrictions are now necessary, they were not inevitable.”
He added: “The return of this virus, and the return of restrictions, are not an act of God, they’re a failure of Government.”
It comes as Chancellor Rishi Sunak scrapped the winter Budget to update MPs today on his plan over the coming months for coronavirus support.
But Sir Keir said: “We need a national effort to protect jobs and prevent a second lockdown so I’ve offered to work with the Prime Minister to do whatever we can to save lives and livelihoods. That offer remains open. My door is always open.”
He said a Plan B was needed for the economy and added: “It makes no sense to bring in new restrictions at the same time as phasing out support for jobs and businesses.”
Yesterday, Mr Johnson told the Commons: “Of course the Government is going to come forward with further measures.
“I don’t think it would be sensible simply to extend the current existing furlough scheme in its present form beyond the end of October but we will do everything we can to support businesses, support those in jobs and indeed the self employed.”
He said the Government would “do whatever we can” to support freelancers as they were the “backbone of our theatrical world”.
Asked by Sir Keir why he did not introduce new measures sooner, Mr Johnson said: “Let’s be in absolutely no doubt that the work this Government has done to protect the economy of this country, to support the jobs of 12m people through the furlough scheme, enabled expenditure of about £ 160bn, has been unexampled anywhere else in the world.
“And I think he should pay tribute to the Chancellor and his work and we will go forward with further creative and imaginative schemes to keep our economy moving.”
I’ve offered to work with the Prime Minister to save lives and livelihoods. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in his ‘ right of reply’ yesterday.