MAYOR DAN JARVIS RESPONDS TO GOVERNMENT'S PLAN B

Published 9 December 2021 at 3:52pm

Responding to the decision by the Government to move to Plan B, South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis said:

 “I completely understand and share the worry, concern and anger that local people and businesses are feeling about the introduction of further restrictions and the impact this will have on people’s lives and livelihoods after the most challenging 20 months imaginable.

“This would appear to be an all too conveniently timed attempt to distract from the disgraceful revelations about Christmas parties in Downing Street last December, and other pressures the Government are facing. The timing of this announcement will fundamentally undermine confidence in the public health messaging and put people’s lives at risk. Boris Johnson and his Government have fundamentally lost the moral authority to lead our country.

“We must, of course, be guided by the science when it comes to the need for measures such as the expansion of mandatory face coverings and the return to home working – but this is a sensible way to proceed until we know more about the potential impacts of the Omicron Variant on illness severity and vaccine efficacy. 

“However, I am deeply concerned about proposals to introduce Covid passports and the prospect of mandatory vaccinations. I will be scrutinising the detail of any measures that are proposed by the Government in Parliament next week and will vote, as I always do, in the best interests of local residents and businesses.

“Restrictions that have a direct and damaging impact on our local businesses must come hand-in-glove with financial support to save livelihoods. As an absolute minimum, the Treasury should ensure that they are ready, at a moment’s notice, to reintroduce furlough, self-employment support and discretionary grants to local authorities. They should also reverse the shameful cut to the £20 Universal Credit uplift immediately and as a matter of moral principle and good economic sense.
 
“The priority for the Government must now be to fix the faltering booster programme, get jabs in arms as a matter of the utmost urgency and prevent the need for additional restrictions further down the line.”