PM: Building back stronger and better than ever

Wednesday, 12 August 2020 10:30

The PM has committed to building the economy back stronger and better than ever Ahead of a trip to Northern Ireland, he recognised how the close working between Westminster and Stormont has helped us through the pandemic During his visit, the PM will also announce plans to establish a Centenary Forum and Centenary Historical Advisory Panel to work alongside Government to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland Prime Minister Boris Johnson has...Request free trial

The PM has committed to building the economy back stronger and better than ever

Ahead of a trip to Northern Ireland, he recognised how the close working between Westminster and Stormont has helped us through the pandemic
During his visit, the PM will also announce plans to establish a Centenary Forum and Centenary Historical Advisory Panel to work alongside Government to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has committed to building back stronger and better than ever in the UK’s recovery from the pandemic.

Making his comments ahead of a visit to Northern Ireland tomorrow (Thursday 13^thAugust), the Prime Minister reiterated how the pandemic has demonstrated the strength of the UK and that Westminster and Stormont have worked closely together to get through the crisis. He made clear that these close ties will continue as the country gets back on its feet.

Over the course of the pandemic, the UK Government has been working flat out to support Northern Ireland. The Treasury has protected more than 316,000 jobs and granted thousands of businesses loans,and the UK’s armed forces transported critically ill patients to where they could receive the required treatment.This is on top of £2.2 billion additional funding the Northern Ireland Executive will receive this year for its Covid-19 response.

This close collaboration can also be seen through the Government's UK-wide PPE strategy, which made sure that front line workers in England, Scotland, Wales and NI had the equipment they needed to stay protected. As part of this, the UK Government delivered 4.7 million pieces of PPE to Northern Ireland, which in turn provided 250,000 medical-grade gowns to England.

Westminster and Stormont also jointly funded a £5.7m support package for City of Derry and Belfast City Airports. This kept these airports going during the incredibly challenging peak phase of the pandemic, protecting key routes and safeguarding air connectivity between NI and Great Britain - meaning key workers could still travel, repatriation flights could continue and people could access healthcare services. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

“As the country begins to get back on its feet in the wake of coronavirus, we cannot simply strive to rebuild, but we must commit to building back stronger than ever.

“I cannot overstate how important the close co-operation that we have seen between central and devolved government will continue to be to this. Together, we will make sure Northern Ireland is ready to take full advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead and that no part of Northern Ireland is left behind.

“As we mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland, it is important that we celebrate its people, culture and traditions, along with its vital contribution to the United Kingdom.”

During the PM’s visit, he will also announce plans to establish a Centenary Forum andCentenary Historical Advisory Panel to work alongside Government to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland. The centenary programme will celebrate the people, places and products of Northern Ireland, with its rich sporting, cultural, entrepreneurial and academic talent.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP, said:

“I am delighted that the Prime Minister is in Northern Ireland, and has announced the first stage of our plans to mark this centenary.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for people right across the UK to celebrate Northern Ireland and its integral place within our Union. We will use the centenary next year to promote it on the world stage.

“The establishment of a Centenary Forum and Centenary Historical Advisory Panel will offer us the opportunity to work with a broad spectrum of people, including those from across the political parties, business, tourism and the voluntary and community sectors, to deliver an ambitious and exciting programme of events to mark this significant national anniversary for the UK.”

During his visit to Northern Ireland, the PM will meet with First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill where they are expected to discuss how we can build the UK’s economy back stronger and better than ever. The PM will also meet with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, their first face-to-face meeting since Micheál Martin was appointed. They are expected to discuss the shared fight against coronavirus and work on a sustainable economic recovery, and the UK’s negotiations with the EU.

Notes to editors

People and businesses in Northern Ireland have benefitted from UK-wide support schemes fromthe UK Treasuryincluding:

Support for jobs:

Through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme 240,200 jobs in NI were supported
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has supported 76,000 self-employed people in NI.

NI jobs will also be protected by:

A VAT cut for tourism and hospitality businesses.
Deferring VAT and Income Tax payments so VAT-registered businesses can defer any payment due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 until a later date if they want and self-assessment tax bills due by 31 July 2020 can be deferred until 31 January 2021.
A Statutory Sick Pay relief package will repay employers the current rate of SSP that they pay to current or former employees for periods of sickness due to coronavirus starting on or after 13 March 2020.
Universal Credit is available for workers who have been laid off, and we are making this easier to access.
The Northern Ireland Executive will receive at least £2.2 billion of additional funding this year. This is on top of the £1.6 billion since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Our PPE strategy is UK-wide, making sure that frontline workers in England, Scotland, Wales and NI all have the PPE they need to stay protected while taking care of patients. As part of the four nations approach to PPE, the UK Government has committed 4.7m PPE items to Northern Ireland who has in turn provided 250,000 gowns to England.
In May the Government announced a £5.7million funding package of measures, supporting two airlinks, from Belfast and Londonderry to London, and associated airport services at City of Derry Airport and Belfast City Airport. The funding package has ensured that lifeline connectivity services continue to both Belfast and Londonderry during the pandemic.