Extract from Queen's Speech debate (Commons) (day 2): Musicians - May 12
Thursday, 13 May 2021 07:54
Rachel Reeves (Leeds West) (Lab):...There is a gaping hole in the
furlough scheme, meaning that several million people have
inexplicably been excluded for support. The self-employed—painters
and decorators, plumbers, freelance musicians and fitness
instructors—all work hard and pay their taxes, but for many there
has been no safety net and no support. Why has the Chancellor
ignored their cries for help? Is it because they did not have his
telephone number? Is it because they cannot...Request free trial
(Leeds West) (Lab):...There is a gaping hole in
the furlough scheme, meaning that several million people have
inexplicably been excluded for support. The self-employed—painters
and decorators, plumbers, freelance
musicians and fitness
instructors—all work hard and pay their taxes, but for many there
has been no safety net and no support. Why has the Chancellor
ignored their cries for help? Is it because they did not have his
telephone number? Is it because they cannot WhatsApp him—signed off
with “Love Dc”?
..The label “Made in Britain” is a sign of quality, a stamp
that marks British manufacturing as among the very best in the
world, yet the Government do not make the most of our assets. Over
the past decade, they have failed to support our manufacturing
base: so many jobs did not return after the financial crisis; and
short-term sticking plasters have left sectors such as steel and
shipbuilding as an afterthought. We still have not heard a word
about the Government’s vision of how we will become global leaders
in manufacturing and industry outside the EU or how we will help
our cultural industries. We are talking about our musicians and performers, our
farmers and fishermen, who are suffering because of the huge gaps
in this Government’s deal with our European neighbours. In the last
quarter, exports to the EU were down 18.1%, and exports to
countries outside the EU were up by only 0.4%...
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