Britain’s 5 million self-employed people deserve proper income protections in the face of the virus outbreak – that is the message from Labour MPs including Luke Pollard in a new joint letter to the Chancellor:

Luke says:

“Labour is seeking to be constructive in this time of national crisis. We are supporting the Government’s efforts but highlighting where they can be improved. I am pleased to see Ministers adopted Labour’s proposals for income guarantees, however they have excluded the five million self-employed people across Britain. There are thousands of people who are self-employed in Plymouth and they deserve the same income protections afforded to other workers. That is why I have vocally, and I hope constructively, given a voice to all those people who have got in touch with me about this.

 

Fighting this virus is everyone’s responsibility and that is why people should not have to chose between their health and hardship. As well as support for those who are self-employed I also want to see welfare support boosted and the paltry £94 a week for statutory sick pay increased to a real Living Wage in similar terms to the income support measures proposed by Ministers.”