Luke Pollard MP Member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Responding to the Chancellor’s Summer Economic Update in the House of Commons today, Luke Pollard MP said:
“More people are losing their jobs every day in Plymouth. I welcome any extra funding for the South West, but it is because we do not get our fair share of funding that our region is feeling much more economic pain. What we needed today was a full budget, focused on protecting jobs, not a series of well-spun announcements which sadly does not add up to a comprehensive plan for jobs.
“I wanted to see the Government provide more support for tourism, hospitality and the creative arts with a flexible furlough scheme, but the Chancellor confirmed the cliff-edge for workers in that sector will still be in October.
“I have been vocal that we need a Green Recovery Plan and though the fraction of promised funding for housing retrofits is welcome, it is far from a green new deal. A Green recovery plan has to be more than a soundbite and token initiatives, no matter who worthy each individually are.
“The economy of will only be able to bounce back when people have confidence that the public health crisis is under control. But the government’s failures to create a working test, trace and isolate scheme and a proper plan for local lockdowns means it is harder for people to feel confident in heading out and spending again.”