Stone urges Chancellor to 'dig deep and find some empathy' over workers excluded from support
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North MP Jamie Stone has urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to "dig deep and find some empathy" for those who have been excluded from the UK government’s financial support schemes during the pandemic.
The plea to Rishi Sunak came as the Gaps in Support all-party parliamentary group, established and chaired by Mr Stone, tabled a bill to help the estimated three million who are said to have been losing out. They include newly self-employed people and freelance workers.
The bill, which passed its first reading and will go to a second reading on January 29, would require the government to "undertake an assessment of any gaps in financial support provided to individuals, businesses and industries over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic; to require the government to report to parliament on steps it intends to take in connection with any such gaps".
Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said: “I am so grateful to all those who have been locked out of government support for continuing to work with the APPG and to help us keep their plight at the focus of parliament's mind.
"We have solutions. We are not giving up. All we need is for Mr Sunak to dig deep, find some empathy, and listen to the logic."
Last week a Bradford MP, Labour's Imran Hussain, pressed Boris Johnson on the issue. The Prime Minister maintained that no-one had been excluded from support and pointed out that hundreds of billions of pounds had been given to businesses during the pandemic, although he was open to listening to the APPG's concerns.
In an economic update this week, Mr Sunak did not mention new support for excluded workers.
Labour MP Tracy Brabin, a co-chair of the parliamentary group, said: "With around three million people still locked out of government support, as has been the case since the beginning of this pandemic, it was truly shocking to hear the Prime Minister claim no-one has been excluded.
"Even more egregious, though, is the continued failure of the Chancellor to even mention the issue when he came to the House this week.
"This pandemic has been a nightmare for everyone. But it is still within the government's gift to act on this critical issue.
"Basic fairness demands a solution be found. The Treasury must now show the necessary political will, instruct its experts to help these people with genuine solutions and right this historic wrong."
Mr Stone added: "We are not going to let the Chancellor forget about his failure any time soon."
A UK government spokesperson said: “The UK government is doing everything it can to support businesses and employees across Scotland.
“We’ve already extended the furlough scheme until April, providing certainty for businesses as they navigate the months ahead.
“And we have provided the Scottish Government with an additional £8.6bn this year to help them to respond to the pandemic. The Scottish Government is free to use the extra funding to provide additional support for businesses as we have in England.”
