labourlist--2020-10-14--‘Welsh Labour Together’ online conference programme unveiled

The Welsh Labour Party has unveiled a programme of events for its online conference ‘ Welsh Labour Together ’ that is being held between October 15th and 23rd as a replacement for the usual annual gathering .
The Labour conference in Wales was cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic , but Welsh Labour has instead organised a package of panels , meetings and rallies for party members to attend remotely .
Labour members will be invited to hear from party leaders and activists from across the labour movement , and engage and discuss policy ideas ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
The party has published a timetable of events for members as well as a guide to the online conference , ahead of a launch event planned for Thursday evening with the leader of the Welsh Labour Party and First Minister .
Mark Drakeford will kick off the conference with a question and answer session at 6pm on Thursday , and he will be joined by former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Saturday to discuss their campaign to protect jobs .
Commenting ahead of the events , the Drakeford said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of events will give Welsh members an opportunity to catch up , listen to a wide range of speakers and feel energised about the future we are building together.
” He added : “ We are holding this virtual event against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic .
It continues to cause disruption to our daily lives and many families in Wales will have lost a loved one to this highly infectious virus… “ We want to act now to prevent long-term damage from the pandemic .
We face many challenges ahead and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy .
“ The Tories ’ failure to get a grip on the crisis highlights how much we need Labour in government in the UK .
Keir Starmer and I are united in our commitment to save jobs and show there is a better way with Labour.
” Welsh Labour general secretary Louise Magee said : “ Even in these most challenging of times , it is still hugely important for us to all come together to discuss , debate , share and learn , and prepare ourselves for the electoral challenges ahead.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stands on the cusp of an election that will define our party – and our country – for generations to come.
” A recent survey on the upcoming elections in May 2021 suggested a three-way fight for the Senedd between Labour , the Tories and Plaid Cymru .
The Welsh Labour Party was shown to be polling last month at 34 % .
Deputy Welsh Labour leader Carolyn Harris said : “ I ’ m confident that with Mark ’ s leadership , and the recognition and understanding that Keir has already demonstrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour , we will be able to preserve our election-winning tradition.
” The programme of events will begin on Thursday with a ‘ Women in Politics Q & A ’ at 1pm , followed by the launch event for the online conference later the same day with the First Minister .
These opening sessions will be followed by : • 1pm : Spotlight on : Wales and the world • 7pm : Leave no-one behind : Making change happen | Older people ’ s commissioner for Wales • 7.30pm : Lots done , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian and minority ethnic people leading our movement • 12.30pm : The future of social security in Wales | Citizens Advice Cymru • 12.30pm : Owning the future : A Co-operative agenda for Wales / How we shape the post-Covid Welsh economy in everyone ’ s interests • 12.30pm : ‘ Back the bill ’ – a right to housing for all | Tai Pawb , Shelter Cymru and CIH Cymru

The Welsh Labour Party has unveiled a programme of events for its online conference ‘Welsh Labour Together’ that is being held between October 15th and 23rd as a replacement for the usual annual gathering.
The Labour conference in Wales was cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but Welsh Labour has instead organised a package of panels, meetings and rallies for party members to attend remotely.
Labour members will be invited to hear from party leaders and activists from across the labour movement, and engage and discuss policy ideas ahead of the Senedd elections due to take place next year.
The party has published a timetable of events for members as well as a guide to the online conference, ahead of a launch event planned for Thursday evening with the leader of the Welsh Labour Party and First Minister.
Mark Drakeford will kick off the conference with a question and answer session at 6pm on Thursday, and he will be joined by former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Saturday to discuss their campaign to protect jobs.
Commenting ahead of the events, the Drakeford said: “I hope the next few days of events will give Welsh members an opportunity to catch up, listen to a wide range of speakers and feel energised about the future we are building together.”
He added: “We are holding this virtual event against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. It continues to cause disruption to our daily lives and many families in Wales will have lost a loved one to this highly infectious virus…
“We want to act now to prevent long-term damage from the pandemic. We face many challenges ahead and the next few months will not be easy.
“The Tories’ failure to get a grip on the crisis highlights how much we need Labour in government in the UK. Keir Starmer and I are united in our commitment to save jobs and show there is a better way with Labour.”
Welsh Labour general secretary Louise Magee said: “Even in these most challenging of times, it is still hugely important for us to all come together to discuss, debate, share and learn, and prepare ourselves for the electoral challenges ahead.”
She added: “Welsh Labour stands on the cusp of an election that will define our party – and our country – for generations to come.”
A recent survey on the upcoming elections in May 2021 suggested a three-way fight for the Senedd between Labour, the Tories and Plaid Cymru. The Welsh Labour Party was shown to be polling last month at 34%.
Deputy Welsh Labour leader Carolyn Harris said: “I’m confident that with Mark’s leadership, and the recognition and understanding that Keir has already demonstrated of the importance of Wales and Welsh Labour, we will be able to preserve our election-winning tradition.”
The programme of events will begin on Thursday with a ‘Women in Politics Q&A’ at 1pm, followed by the launch event for the online conference later the same day with the First Minister. These opening sessions will be followed by:
Friday 16th October
1pm : Spotlight on: Wales and the world
: Spotlight on: Wales and the world 6pm : Policy roundtable one: Environment
: Policy roundtable one: Environment 7.30pm: Policy roundtable two: Education and lifelong learning
Saturday 17th October
11am : ‘In conversation with’ former Mark Drakeford and Gordon Brown
: ‘In conversation with’ former Mark Drakeford and Gordon Brown 1pm : Training session: Campaigning to win
: Training session: Campaigning to win 3pm : Miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050
: Miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050 4.30pm: Young Labour: Turning ideas into action
Sunday 18th October
11am : Policy roundtable three: Economy and transport
: Policy roundtable three: Economy and transport 1pm : Policy roundtable four: Welsh taxes, finance and EU transition
: Policy roundtable four: Welsh taxes, finance and EU transition 3pm: Spotlight on: Welsh Labour working hard in local government
Monday 19th October
11am : Spotlight on: Senedd 2021
: Spotlight on: Senedd 2021 7pm : Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales fringe event
: Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales fringe event 7pm : Communities and local resilience | Building communities trust
: Communities and local resilience | Building communities trust 7pm : Leave no-one behind: Making change happen | Older people’s commissioner for Wales
: Leave no-one behind: Making change happen | Older people’s commissioner for Wales 7pm: Work and employment in a post-Covid world | Unite Wales
Tuesday 20th October
12.30pm : Lunchtime training: Dialogue
: Lunchtime training: Dialogue 6pm : TULO event: Why unions matter
: TULO event: Why unions matter 7.30pm: Lots done, lots more to do: Black, Asian and minority ethnic people leading our movement
Wednesday 21st October
1pm : Spotlight on: Crime and community safety
: Spotlight on: Crime and community safety 6pm : Policy roundtable five: Health and social services
: Policy roundtable five: Health and social services 7.30pm: Policy roundtable six: Equalities, housing, Welsh language & local government
Thursday 22nd October


labourlist--2020-10-15--Ashworth: “How many more deaths” before government adopts circuit break

Jonathan Ashworth has called on the government to adopt a national ‘ circuit-break ’ lockdown and asked the Health Secretary “ how many more deaths ” it would take before Downing Street implemented the policy .
Discussing the government ’ s response to Covid this morning , the Shadow Health Secretary voiced support for new restrictions announced in London and Essex but argued that more needed to be done to “ take back control of the virus ” .
Matt Hancock told MPs in parliament today that although the virus was “ spreading exponentially ” across the country , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisions to keep the virus under control ” rather than nationwide measures .
Responding to the Health Secretary ’ s statement , Ashworth said : “ Given what we know about the rising prevalence of the virus , given what we know about rising admissions to critical care , we totally understand why he has had to make difficult decisions today… “ While I don ’ t quibble or object to the public health interventions he is making , I ’ m afraid they ’ re still not backed up with the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on jobs and livelihoods.
” He added : “ While the virus growth is accelerated in northern regions the embers are burning bright nationwide… A full national lockdown stretching for weeks and weeks like we had throughout April , May and June would be disastrous for society .
“ But we are urging him to adopt a short , time-limited two-to-three week circuit break .
To take back control of the virus , to reboot and to fix test and trace , protect the NHS and save lives.
” Ashworth concluded : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influenza group on modelling ] subgroup of SAGE say a circuit break of two weeks will save almost 8,000 lives .
“ And for all the ponderous blustering and carping from the Prime Minister yesterday , he actually told the House ‘ I rule nothing out ’ … “ What are the government ’ s criteria for a national circuit break ?
How many hospital admissions ?
How much non-Covid care delayed ?
Dare I say it how many more deaths ?
Action needs to be taken right now .
Plans need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leader Keir Starmer initially called for a nationwide ‘ circuit breaker ’ lockdown on Monday following reports that ministers ignored advice from experts to implement the measure to combat the spread of the virus .
Ashworth also criticised today ’ s government tracing figures , which found just 62 % of contacts were being reached , and argued that this is “ equivalent to 81,000 people ” circulating in society despite being exposed to the virus .
MPs rejected an opposition day motion put forward by Labour on Wednesday that called on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trace system in the hands of local public health teams , as opposed to private firms like Serco .
The Conservatives voted down the motion despite markedly better results on contact tracing carried out by local authorities .
Data last week showed that local health protection teams had reached 97.1 % of contacts .
Below is the full text of Ashworth ’ s contribution to the Commons .
Given what we know about the rising prevalence of the virus , given what we know about rising admissions to critical care , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the difficult decisions on tier 2 for London and other areas including Erewash , Essex and Barrow .
I hope will agree these decisions are most effective when made in tandem with local leaders .
While I don ’ t quibble or object to the public health interventions he is making I ’ m afraid they ’ re still not backed up with the financial package that is needed to mitigate their impact on jobs and livelihoods .
More people will fall into poverty and destitution .
Families across Bury and Bolton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hydeburn or London have been failed by the Chancellor , so I urge him and the government to introduce a stronger package of financial support for those areas in tier 2 or tier 3 .
The British people have made tremendous sacrifice already and now we are heading into the bleakest of winters .
Much of this could have been avoided if the misfiring £12bn Test and Trace had been fixed over the summer .
Today new figures show just 62 % of contacts reached .
That ’ s equivalent to 81,000 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve been exposed to the virus .
Another record low .
Yesterday we learnt consultants working on test and trace are being paid over £6,000 a day to run this failing service .
In a single week , the government is paying these senior consultants more than they pay an experienced nurse in a year .
Can the Secretary of State explain why such huge sums of money are being paid to consultants to run a service that is only getting worse ?
The Prime Minister said yesterday these new restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But while virus growth is accelerated in northern regions , the embers are burning bright nationwide .
Let me repeat to the House – and the Tory party is welcome to clip me again for Twitter , it will save my staff the trouble .
A full national lockdown stretching for weeks and weeks like we went through in April , May and June– would be disastrous for society .
But we are urging him to adopt a short , time-limited two-three week circuit break .
To take back control of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test and trace , protect the NHS and save lives .
SAGE recommended a circuit break .
NHS providers say they are ‘ urging politicians to listen to the scientific advice and move as fast and as decisively.
’ The SPI-M subgroup of SAGE – say a circuit break of two weeks will save almost 8,000 lives .
And for all the ponderous blustering and carping from the Prime Minister , he told the House with some haste – as if he didn ’ t want his own backbenchers to realise – ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So the Prime Minister has not ruled it out , which we welcome , so what are the government ’ s criteria for a national circuit break ?
How many hospital admissions ?
How much non-Covid care delayed ?
Dare I say it how many more deaths ?
Action needs to be taken right now .
Plans need to be put in place today .
Everyone accepts that the government were too slow in the spring .
How certain is he that his government is not making the exact same mistake again with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment in history .
Look around .
Can the Health Secretary explain why not a national circuit break now ?
Because if we do this in a few weeks or months ’ time more lives and livelihoods will have been lost .
So in the national interest , I offer to work constructively with him today , to deliver the circuit break that is now needed .
”

Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth has called on the government to adopt a national ‘circuit-break’ lockdown and asked the Health Secretary “how many more deaths” it would take before Downing Street implemented the policy.
Discussing the government’s response to Covid this morning, the Shadow Health Secretary voiced support for new restrictions announced in London and Essex but argued that more needed to be done to “take back control of the virus”.
Matt Hancock told MPs in parliament today that although Covid-19 is “spreading exponentially” across the country, the country needs a “firm and balanced decisions to keep the virus under control” rather than nationwide measures.
Responding to the Health Secretary’s statement, Ashworth said: “Given what we know about the rising prevalence of the virus, given what we know about rising admissions to critical care, we totally understand why he has had to make difficult decisions today…
“While I don’t quibble or object to the public health interventions he is making, I’m afraid they’re still not backed up with the financial package that is needed to mitigate their impact on jobs and livelihoods.”
He added: “While the virus growth is accelerated in northern regions the embers are burning bright nationwide… A full national lockdown stretching for weeks and weeks like we had throughout April, May and June would be disastrous for society.
“But we are urging him to adopt a short, time-limited two- to three-week circuit break. To take back control of the virus, to reboot and to fix test and trace, protect the NHS and save lives.”
The Shadow Health Secretary concluded: “The SPI-M [the scientific pandemic influenza group on modelling] subgroup of SAGE say a circuit break of two weeks will save almost 8,000 lives…
“What are the government’s criteria for a national circuit break? How many hospital admissions? How much non-Covid care delayed? Dare I say it, how many more deaths? Action needs to be taken right now.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer called for a nationwide ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown on Monday following reports that ministers ignored advice from experts to implement the measure to combat the spread of the virus.
Ashworth also criticised today’s government tracing figures, which found just 62% of contacts were being reached, and argued that this is “equivalent to 81,000 people” circulating in society despite being exposed to the virus.
MPs rejected an opposition day motion put forward by Labour on Wednesday that called on the government to put control of the test and trace system in the hands of local public health teams, as opposed to private firms like Serco.
The Conservatives voted down the motion despite markedly better results on contact tracing carried out by local authorities. Data last week showed that local health protection teams had reached 97.1% of contacts.
Below is the full text of Ashworth’s contribution to the Commons.
Given what we know about the rising prevalence of the virus, given what we know about rising admissions to critical care, we totally understand why he has had to take the difficult decisions on tier 2 for London and other areas including Erewash, Essex and Barrow. I hope will agree these decisions are most effective when made in tandem with local leaders.
While I don’t quibble or object to the public health interventions he is making I’m afraid they’re still not backed up with the financial package that is needed to mitigate their impact on jobs and livelihoods. More people will fall into poverty and destitution. Families across Bury and Bolton, small businesses across Burnely, or Hydeburn or London have been failed by the Chancellor, so I urge him and the government to introduce a stronger package of financial support for those areas in tier 2 or tier 3. The British people have made tremendous sacrifice already and now we are heading into the bleakest of winters. Much of this could have been avoided if the misfiring £12bn Test and Trace had been fixed over the summer.
Today new figures show just 62% of contacts reached. That’s equivalent to 81,000 people not reached circulating in society even though they’ve been exposed to the virus. Another record low. Yesterday we learnt consultants working on test and trace are being paid over £6,000 a day to run this failing service. In a single week, the government is paying these senior consultants more than they pay an experienced nurse in a year.
Can the Secretary of State explain why such huge sums of money are being paid to consultants to run a service that is only getting worse? The Prime Minister said yesterday these new restrictions would bring the R below one. But while virus growth is accelerated in northern regions, the embers are burning bright nationwide.
Let me repeat to the House – and the Tory party is welcome to clip me again for Twitter, it will save my staff the trouble. A full national lockdown stretching for weeks and weeks like we went through in April, May and June– would be disastrous for society. But we are urging him to adopt a short, time-limited two-three week circuit break. To take back control of the virus, to reboot, and to fix test and trace, protect the NHS and save lives.
SAGE recommended a circuit break. NHS providers say they are ‘urging politicians to listen to the scientific advice and move as fast and as decisively.’ The SPI-M subgroup of SAGE – say a circuit break of two weeks will save almost 8,000 lives. And for all the ponderous blustering and carping from the Prime Minister, he told the House with some haste – as if he didn’t want his own backbenchers to realise – ‘I rule out nothing of course.’
So the Prime Minister has not ruled it out, which we welcome, so what are the government’s criteria for a national circuit break? How many hospital admissions? How much non-Covid care delayed? Dare I say it how many more deaths? Action needs to be taken right now. Plans need to be put in place today.
Everyone accepts that the government were too slow in the spring. How certain is he that his government is not making the exact same mistake again with more catastrophic consequences? This is a moment in history. Look around. Can the Health Secretary explain why not a national circuit break now? Because if we do this in a few weeks or months’ time more lives and livelihoods will have been lost. So in the national interest, I offer to work constructively with him today, to deliver the circuit break that is now needed.”


labourlist--2020-10-15--WATCH: Drakeford “genuinely baffled” by PM on Covid travel restrictions

Labour ’ s Mark Drakeford has declared that he is “ genuinely baffled ” by the Prime Minister ’ s refusal to put in place measures to stop people travelling to Wales and other areas from coronavirus hotspots in England .
In an interview with the BBC this morning , the Welsh First Minister argued that enshrining in law restrictions on people moving from an area with a high prevalence of the virus to another is “ simple and straightforward ” .
He told viewers : “ I am genuinely baffled by the Prime Minister ’ s unwillingness to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very simple and straightforward – and which would have reinforced the sense of acting together across the UK .
“ I never wanted this to become an issue of a border and people travelling in and out of Wales .
I ’ ve always thought it ’ s an issue of high-incidence areas and low-incidence areas wherever they may be.
” His comments follow his letter to Boris Johnson last month seeking travel restrictions to be enshrined in law , rather than the government relying on guidance alone to prevent people from hotspots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out this morning that while the government has said people should not leave a Covid hotspot , as guidance the measure is not enforceable by the police .
He argued that they need the “ force of law behind them ” to make it effective .
The Welsh Labour leader explained : “ The Prime Minister could have acted .
He could have helped people in Wales and elsewhere to protect themselves against the flow of virus into areas where the virus is still effectively suppressed.
” He added : “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He could still change his mind and then we wouldn ’ t need to do what we are doing .
But so far I ’ ve had no success in persuading him of this simple and straightforward course of action .
“ And in that position I am obliged – this is a public health emergency – I am obliged to take action to help to keep Wales safe.
” Drakeford told the BBC on Monday evening that he was offering Johnson “ one final opportunity ” to stop travel from high-prevalence areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
But Downing Street rejected the ask from the First Minister on Tuesday evening .
The Prime Minister ’ s spokesperson argued : “ There are no physical borders between Wales and England.
” In a Times Radio interview on Tuesday , the First Minister discussed the proposed Covid measure while also telling listeners that the Labour administration in Wales is “ very actively thinking ” about whether a ‘ circuit break ’ lockdown should be imposed .
He explained : “ There ’ ll be nobody posted on the border , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of any sort .
There will be a powerful message to people : they ’ re not to come into Wales to low incidence areas.
” But he added : “ I need a rule in the regulations .
And then we can properly enforce it .
And I am a bit baffled as to why the Prime Minister is prepared to rely on guidance that can ’ t be enforced , when he could simply put it in regulations as we have in Wales , and then the enforcement of it becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out that similar measures were in place in March with the ‘ stay local ’ rules , which provided an enforceable restriction on people travelling to other areas of the country at the height of the pandemic .
First Minister for Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has said that she supports the action called for by Drakeford , revealing that she had received a letter from the Welsh Labour leader on the issue .
Drakeford today explained to viewers that holiday providers in Wales should not accept half-term bookings from people in areas of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and said that existing bookings will not be honoured .
He said that the police will be conducting extra patrols on main roads to enforce the travel ban in the devolved nation , and added that the police will be able to issue fixed penalty notices for those found to be in breach of the rules .

Labour’s Mark Drakeford has declared that he is “genuinely baffled” by the Prime Minister’s refusal to put in place measures to stop people travelling to Wales and other areas from coronavirus hotspots in England.
In an interview with the BBC this morning, the Welsh First Minister argued that enshrining in law restrictions on people moving from an area with a high prevalence of the virus to another is “simple and straightforward”.
He told viewers: “I am genuinely baffled by the Prime Minister’s unwillingness to take an action, which I think is very simple and straightforward – and which would have reinforced the sense of acting together across the UK.
“I never wanted this to become an issue of a border and people travelling in and out of Wales. I’ve always thought it’s an issue of high-incidence areas and low-incidence areas wherever they may be.”
His comments follow his letter to Boris Johnson last month seeking travel restrictions to be enshrined in law, rather than the government relying on guidance alone to prevent people from hotspots spreading Covid to other areas.
He pointed out this morning that while the government has said people should not leave a Covid hotspot, as guidance the measure is not enforceable by the police. He argued that they need the “force of law behind them” to make it effective.
The Welsh Labour leader explained: “The Prime Minister could have acted. He could have helped people in Wales and elsewhere to protect themselves against the flow of virus into areas where the virus is still effectively suppressed.”
He added: “The Prime Minister could contact me today. He could still change his mind and then we wouldn’t need to do what we are doing. But so far I’ve had no success in persuading him of this simple and straightforward course of action.
“And in that position I am obliged – this is a public health emergency – I am obliged to take action to help to keep Wales safe.”
"I am genuinely baffled by the Prime Minister's unwillingness"
First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford tells #BBCBreakfast he felt obliged to bring in the travel restrictions to keep Wales safe.https://t.co/WacI0b9zWc pic.twitter.com/ljMVmz8Olh — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) October 15, 2020
Drakeford told the BBC on Monday evening that he was offering Johnson “one final opportunity” to stop travel from high-prevalence areas before he uses the powers available to him.
But Downing Street rejected the ask from the First Minister on Tuesday evening. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson argued: “There are no physical borders between Wales and England.”
In a Times Radio interview on Tuesday, the First Minister discussed the proposed Covid measure while also telling listeners that the Labour administration in Wales is “very actively thinking” about whether a ‘circuit break’ lockdown should be imposed.
He explained: “There’ll be nobody posted on the border, there’ll be no physical barriers of any sort. There will be a powerful message to people: they’re not to come into Wales to low incidence areas.”
But he added: “I need a rule in the regulations. And then we can properly enforce it. And I am a bit baffled as to why the Prime Minister is prepared to rely on guidance that can’t be enforced, when he could simply put it in regulations as we have in Wales, and then the enforcement of it becomes straightforward.”
The Welsh government has also pointed out that similar measures were in place in March with the ‘stay local’ rules, which provided an enforceable restriction on people travelling to other areas of the country at the height of the pandemic.
First Minister for Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has said that she supports the action called for by Drakeford, revealing that she had received a letter from the Welsh Labour leader on the issue.
Drakeford today explained to viewers that holiday providers in Wales should not accept half-term bookings from people in areas of the UK with high levels of coronavirus, and said that existing bookings will not be honoured.
He said that the police will be conducting extra patrols on main roads to enforce the travel ban in the devolved nation, and added that the police will be able to issue fixed penalty notices for those found to be in breach of the rules.


labourlist--2020-10-15--Eluned Anderson: Why I’m standing to be chair of Young Labour

I am running for chair of Young Labour to build a youth movement that empowers our young activists to fight everyday for a Labour government with Keir Starmer in No 10 .
I joined the Labour Party when I was 15 , on the night of the 2015 general election .
I watched in horror as the Tories under David Cameron won , knowing that they were on course to lead the country into more devastating austerity .
I knew then that the best way to make a difference was to become a Labour member and fight for a Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child of an alcoholic , suffering physical abuse from the people who were supposed to protect me .
Statistics say I shouldn ’ t be here today , fighting for a better future for young people .
But I ’ m running to be chair of Young Labour not despite my life experiences , but because of them .
My vision for Young Labour is simple : I want Young Labour to unlock the potential of all young members with an online campaign hub , to have proper safeguarding in our youth movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Young Labour members have so much potential .
But without funding we are not given the tools we need to create change in our communities .
I would change this by setting up an online campaign hub where young members can access training and political education .
From starting a local Young Labour group and running community campaigns , to guidance on how to become a councillor or information on how to organise in your workplace – this would be a go-to resource for everything that young members need to fight for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Young Labour needs to end .
The abuse that our current chair has suffered – experiencing antisemitic bullying so bad it got mentioned in parliament – is despicable .
It is vital that we fix this .
I want to see designated safeguarding officers in every regional Labour office with well publicised guidance for young members to seek support , a properly independent complaints process and anti-racist , unconscious bias training for officers to make Young Labour a safe space for all our members .
Young Labour must always stand against racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Gypsy , Roma and Traveller hate , homophobia , ableism , classism , misogyny and sexual harassment .
Alongside this Young Labour must be inclusive and unequivocally anti-racist .
I am a North West regional ambassador for the Holocaust Education Trust , educating young people on the Holocaust and working with survivors to end the scourge of antisemitism .
I will ensure Young Labour put words into action to fight with Black Lives Matter activists and encourage young members from BAME backgrounds to stand for election in the party .
I am so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour Movement , and I will work with them to ensure we have zero tolerance against antisemitism in our party , bringing back their antisemitism awareness training for Young Labour groups and student societies .
I am ready to fight for a better future for our movement and the country .
I would work everyday for a Labour government and to get Keir into No 10 in 2024 .
We need a Young Labour that is ready to take the fight to the Tories , and I am the chair candidate to lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know more you can find me via Facebook , Twitter or on my campaign website .

I am running for chair of Young Labour to build a youth movement that empowers our young activists to fight everyday for a Labour government with Keir Starmer in No 10. I joined the Labour Party when I was 15, on the night of the 2015 general election. I watched in horror as the Tories under David Cameron won, knowing that they were on course to lead the country into more devastating austerity. I knew then that the best way to make a difference was to become a Labour member and fight for a Labour government.
I grew up as a child of an alcoholic, suffering physical abuse from the people who were supposed to protect me. Statistics say I shouldn’t be here today, fighting for a better future for young people. But I’m running to be chair of Young Labour not despite my life experiences, but because of them. My vision for Young Labour is simple: I want Young Labour to unlock the potential of all young members with an online campaign hub, to have proper safeguarding in our youth movement, and an actively anti-racist Young Labour.
Young Labour members have so much potential. But without funding we are not given the tools we need to create change in our communities. I would change this by setting up an online campaign hub where young members can access training and political education. From starting a local Young Labour group and running community campaigns, to guidance on how to become a councillor or information on how to organise in your workplace – this would be a go-to resource for everything that young members need to fight for a Labour government.
The toxic culture of Young Labour needs to end. The abuse that our current chair has suffered – experiencing antisemitic bullying so bad it got mentioned in parliament – is despicable. It is vital that we fix this. I want to see designated safeguarding officers in every regional Labour office with well publicised guidance for young members to seek support, a properly independent complaints process and anti-racist, unconscious bias training for officers to make Young Labour a safe space for all our members. Young Labour must always stand against racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, transphobia, anti-Gypsy, Roma and Traveller hate, homophobia, ableism, classism, misogyny and sexual harassment.
Alongside this Young Labour must be inclusive and unequivocally anti-racist. I am a North West regional ambassador for the Holocaust Education Trust, educating young people on the Holocaust and working with survivors to end the scourge of antisemitism. I will ensure Young Labour put words into action to fight with Black Lives Matter activists and encourage young members from BAME backgrounds to stand for election in the party. I am so proud to be backed by the Jewish Labour Movement, and I will work with them to ensure we have zero tolerance against antisemitism in our party, bringing back their antisemitism awareness training for Young Labour groups and student societies.
I am ready to fight for a better future for our movement and the country. I would work everyday for a Labour government and to get Keir into No 10 in 2024. We need a Young Labour that is ready to take the fight to the Tories, and I am the chair candidate to lead it. If you would like to know more you can find me via Facebook, Twitter or on my campaign website.


labourlist--2020-10-15--Dan Carden quits Labour frontbench over ‘spycops’ bill

Dan Carden has resigned from the Labour frontbench over the leadership ’ s decision to whip MPs to abstain on the government ’ s controversial ‘ spycops ’ bill set to receive its third reading in the House of Commons this afternoon .
The left-wing MP , who was appointed to Labour ’ s Treasury team as shadow financial secretary in April , has written to Keir Starmer confirming that he intends to vote against the covert human intelligence sources ( criminal conduct ) bill .
The former Unite staffer has told Starmer that “ as a matter of conscience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote on behalf of my constituents to object to legislation that sets dangerous new precedents on the rule of law and civil liberties ” .
A Labour Party spokesperson said : “ We are disappointed that Dan is stepping down from his role… Dan has been a valued member of Keir ’ s frontbench and the shadow Treasury team , and will continue to play an important role in ensuring a Labour government after the next election.
” The so-called ‘ spycops ’ bill aims to give legal protection for a previously secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – allowing MI5 , police forces and other specified public bodies to authorise agents and informants to commit criminal offences .
Amnesty UK has warned that “ this bill could end up providing informers and agents with a licence to kill ” and stressed that it “ does not explicitly prohibit MI5 and other agencies from authorising crimes like torture and killing ” .
20 Labour MPs defied the one-line party whip to abstain last week and voted against the CHIS bill at second reading , though it was approved by a majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to be bigger today .
In his resignation letter to the Labour leader , Carden wrote : “ At the second reading , I followed the party whip to abstain in the hope that I could work constructively to shift the party ’ s position towards opposing the bill at third reading .
“ It is now clear that this has not been possible .
We have spoken at length on these matters and I know you have settled on yours and the party ’ s position towards opposing the bill from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ You will understand that as a Liverpool MP and trade unionist , I share the deep concerns about this legislation from across the labour movement , human rights organisations , and so many who have suffered the abuse of state power , from blacklisted workers to the Hillsborough families and survivors.
” LabourList revealed on Monday that Keir Starmer planned to instruct all Labour MPs to abstain on the third reading of the bill this week – even if the changes being put forward by the opposition party are not adopted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontbenchers plus backbench MPs such as Yvette Cooper , has been met with some resistance .
Concerns were expressed during a Parliamentary Labour Party meeting over Zoom .
The general secretaries of 14 trade unions , 20 Labour MPs including Jeremy Corbyn and a number of campaigning organisations have released a joint statement urging Starmer to change course on the CHIS bill .
But shadow security minister Conor McGinn has used a piece for LabourList to describe the bill as “ far from perfect ” yet “ necessary ” due to “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the use of human intelligence sources ” .
McGinn wrote : “ Without the legislation , undercover sources will either be unable to operate – depriving our security services of a vital tool in disrupting terrorism and serious and organised crime – or continue to do so only by operating in the shadows.
” Carden has told Starmer today that he will offer his “ full support ” to the Labour leadership and focus in the months ahead on representing his Liverpool Walton constituents during the coronavirus pandemic .

Dan Carden has resigned from the Labour frontbench over the leadership’s decision to whip MPs to abstain on the government’s controversial ‘spycops’ bill set to receive its third reading in the House of Commons this afternoon.
The left-wing MP, who was appointed to Labour’s Treasury team as shadow financial secretary in April, has written to Keir Starmer confirming that he intends to vote against the covert human intelligence sources (criminal conduct) bill.
The former Unite staffer has told Starmer that “as a matter of conscience I must use my voice and my vote on behalf of my constituents to object to legislation that sets dangerous new precedents on the rule of law and civil liberties”.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that Dan is stepping down from his role… Dan has been a valued member of Keir’s frontbench and the shadow Treasury team, and will continue to play an important role in ensuring a Labour government after the next election.”
The so-called ‘spycops’ bill aims to give legal protection for a previously secret power – “the third direction” – allowing MI5, police forces and other specified public bodies to authorise agents and informants to commit criminal offences.
Amnesty UK has warned that “this bill could end up providing informers and agents with a licence to kill” and stressed that it “does not explicitly prohibit MI5 and other agencies from authorising crimes like torture and killing”.
20 Labour MPs defied the one-line party whip to abstain last week and voted against the CHIS bill at second reading, though it was approved by a majority of 162 votes. The rebellion is expected to be bigger today.
In his resignation letter to the Labour leader, Carden wrote: “At the second reading, I followed the party whip to abstain in the hope that I could work constructively to shift the party’s position towards opposing the bill at third reading.
“It is now clear that this has not been possible. We have spoken at length on these matters and I know you have settled on yours and the party’s position towards opposing the bill from your own experience and with sincerity.
“You will understand that as a Liverpool MP and trade unionist, I share the deep concerns about this legislation from across the labour movement, human rights organisations, and so many who have suffered the abuse of state power, from blacklisted workers to the Hillsborough families and survivors.”
LabourList revealed on Monday that Keir Starmer planned to instruct all Labour MPs to abstain on the third reading of the bill this week – even if the changes being put forward by the opposition party are not adopted.
His decision, while supported by many frontbenchers plus backbench MPs such as Yvette Cooper, has been met with some resistance. Concerns were expressed during a Parliamentary Labour Party meeting over Zoom.
The general secretaries of 14 trade unions, 20 Labour MPs including Jeremy Corbyn and a number of campaigning organisations have released a joint statement urging Starmer to change course on the CHIS bill.
But shadow security minister Conor McGinn has used a piece for LabourList to describe the bill as “far from perfect” yet “necessary” due to “the need to provide a clear lawful framework for the use of human intelligence sources”.
McGinn wrote: “Without the legislation, undercover sources will either be unable to operate – depriving our security services of a vital tool in disrupting terrorism and serious and organised crime – or continue to do so only by operating in the shadows.”
Carden has told Starmer today that he will offer his “full support” to the Labour leadership and focus in the months ahead on representing his Liverpool Walton constituents during the coronavirus pandemic.
Reacting to Carden’s resignation, Momentum co-chair Andrew Scattergood said: “The size and scope of this growing rebellion shows that an increasing number of MPs agree with the view of grassroots members: that we won’t beat the Tories by abstaining.”


labourlist--2020-10-15--Government imposes further Covid restrictions on local areas “by imposition, not consent”

We might have assumed that this week would be dominated by Brexit news , as Boris Johnson did set today – the European Council summit – as his deadline for getting a deal .
But the Prime Minister has accepted that this self-imposed target will be missed , and has done so with little scrutiny because everyone is talking about coronavirus .
Although Andy Burnham has pushed against Greater Manchester being put into the government ’ s new ‘ Tier 3 ’ category of coronavirus alert level , Downing Street is now expected to do just that to the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London is expected to enter ‘ Tier 2 ’ . )
The Labour mayor has warned that this would be “ by imposition , not consent ” and the region would consider taking legal action over the lack of financial support available to the low-paid and self-employed .
Before final talks with 10 Downing Street , set to be held this morning , again the news was briefed to the national media first and Sky News tweeted it last night .
Local council leaders and MPs took to social media in protest – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t even have lists of which MPs represent GM constituencies and keep leaving people out of briefings , ” added Labour ’ s Barbara Keeley .
It is an undeniable mess .
Ministers keep claiming that the decisions for local restrictions are being made “ jointly ” with local representatives , but that clearly is not the case .
Of course , the situation could be transformed by a well-functioning test and trace system , yet the Tories will not consider dropping Serco and handing power to local public health teams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour ’ s motion yesterday .
Coming up in the House of Commons today is the government ’ s controversial covert human intelligence sources ( criminal conduct ) bill , which Labour will not be voting against at third reading , as revealed by LabourList on Monday .
Trade unions and Labour MPs concerned about the bill are supportive of the party ’ s amendments , seeking to introduce safeguards in the legislation , but the proposed changes will be blocked by the Tories .
Although the general secretaries of 14 trade unions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MPs and campaigning organisations including both Momentum and soft left Open Labour to urge Keir Starmer to oppose the ‘ spycops ’ bill if it is unamended , the leadership is undeterred .
After more than just Socialist Campaign Group MPs expressed concerns at the Monday meeting about abstaining on the CHIS bill , the Labour leader arranged personal meetings to persuade them not to break the whip .
We will know this afternoon whether this has ensured that the rebellion is kept at around 20 MPs only .
Want to know more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Diane Abbott wrote for LabourList on why she plans to defy the whip this week , while shadow minister Conor McGinn has also written for LabourList to set out the reasons for the leadership ’ s decision .
Both are worth reading .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

We might have assumed that this week would be dominated by Brexit news, as Boris Johnson did set today – the European Council summit – as his deadline for getting a deal. But the Prime Minister has accepted that this self-imposed target will be missed, and has done so with little scrutiny because everyone is talking about coronavirus. Although Andy Burnham has pushed against Greater Manchester being put into the government’s new ‘Tier 3’ category of coronavirus alert level, Downing Street is now expected to do just that to the area along with Lancashire. (Meanwhile, London is expected to enter ‘Tier 2’.) The Labour mayor has warned that this would be “by imposition, not consent” and the region would consider taking legal action over the lack of financial support available to the low-paid and self-employed.
Before final talks with 10 Downing Street, set to be held this morning, again the news was briefed to the national media first and Sky News tweeted it last night. Local council leaders and MPs took to social media in protest – including Tory William Wragg. “They don’t even have lists of which MPs represent GM constituencies and keep leaving people out of briefings,” added Labour’s Barbara Keeley. It is an undeniable mess. Ministers keep claiming that the decisions for local restrictions are being made “jointly” with local representatives, but that clearly is not the case. Of course, the situation could be transformed by a well-functioning test and trace system, yet the Tories will not consider dropping Serco and handing power to local public health teams – as shown in the rejection of Labour’s motion yesterday.
Coming up in the House of Commons today is the government’s controversial covert human intelligence sources (criminal conduct) bill, which Labour will not be voting against at third reading, as revealed by LabourList on Monday. Trade unions and Labour MPs concerned about the bill are supportive of the party’s amendments, seeking to introduce safeguards in the legislation, but the proposed changes will be blocked by the Tories. Although the general secretaries of 14 trade unions have joined with a number of Labour MPs and campaigning organisations including both Momentum and soft left Open Labour to urge Keir Starmer to oppose the ‘spycops’ bill if it is unamended, the leadership is undeterred.
After more than just Socialist Campaign Group MPs expressed concerns at the Monday meeting about abstaining on the CHIS bill, the Labour leader arranged personal meetings to persuade them not to break the whip. We will know this afternoon whether this has ensured that the rebellion is kept at around 20 MPs only. Want to know more about the arguments on either side? Diane Abbott wrote for LabourList on why she plans to defy the whip this week, while shadow minister Conor McGinn has also written for LabourList to set out the reasons for the leadership’s decision. Both are worth reading. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-10-15--Labour: Reduced lockdown business support is “short-changing the North”

Labour has criticised the government for “ short-changing businesses and communities across the North ” as the vast majority of businesses in areas under Tier 2 and Tier 3 Covid restrictions will receive insufficient or no government support .
Newly published party analysis has highlighted that small businesses forced to shut under the most severe level of Covid-19 measures will receive at most £500 a week of funding from local restrictions support grants .
As a result of changes to government financial aid announced by the Chancellor , this is significantly less than the average £1,666 a week that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the initial lockdown earlier this year .
The grants are only offered to businesses legally forced to close , which means those in Tier 2 areas are not eligible for any support despite facing massive falls in revenue due to the tough social distancing measures being imposed .
Commenting on the results of the new analysis from Labour , shadow business minister Lucy Powell said : “ The government is short-changing businesses and communities across the North .
“ Locking them down but offering just a third of the support given to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a kick in the teeth that makes a mockery of the levelling up agenda.
” Labour criticised the government last week for “ clawing back ” unspent business grants , which would see £448m stripped from areas in Tier 2 and 3 restrictions , with Liverpool and Manchester losing £44m and £19m respectively .
The support was initially provided by the government in March to help struggling businesses cope with the consequences of coronavirus , but the money came with a ‘ use-it-or-lose-it ’ clause mandating that it be spent by August 30th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ’ s decision to enforce the clause and force local authorities across the country to hand back the unused grant money – which totals £1.3bn – as a “ smash and grab raid on business support ” .
She added : “ Clawing back hundreds of millions of pounds from areas facing tougher restrictions just adds insult to injury .
They need to urgently rethink their approach and ensure areas facing the toughest restrictions get a fair deal.
” The government announced a tiered lockdown system this week .
Under the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow the current national guidelines while those in higher tiers face more severe restrictions .
In Tier 3 , the highest of the three categories , members of more than one household are banned from mixing in any indoor setting – meaning retail , hospitality and leisure businesses would be legally forced to shut .
The local lockdown support scheme aims to give funding to those businesses that are forced to shut , but it is significantly lower now than similar support offered when there was a nation-wide lockdown from March .
Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the highest tier of restrictions , with a rateable value of less than £15,000 , will receive just £334 per week – compared to an average of £666 during the initial lockdown .
These companies , alongside those worth between £15,000 and £51,000 who receive £500 a week , were found by Labour to make up 90 % of all the retail , hospitality and leisure businesses that would be forced to close in a Tier 3 lockdown .
Labour has also expressed concerns about the extra costs being placed on businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of England by the government ’ s newly proposed local furlough programme for Tier 3 areas .
This will see the government pay 67 % of a worker ’ s wage if their employer ’ s business is forced to close under Tier 3 rules .
But fears have been raised about those on minimum wage , who will see their already low income cut by a third .
The policy offers more government support than the national job support scheme , which sees employers also contribute to paying unworked hours by staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fire half their workforce rather than save jobs .
Concerns have since been voiced that the more generous support for Tier 3 areas creates a perverse incentive for regions to seek harsher lockdowns , as opposed to cash-strapped local businesses under Tier 2 going without extra government aid .
Recent research found that only 230,000 jobs would be saved by the Chancellor ’ s main job support scheme and job retention bonus and predicted that just under two million people in otherwise viable work could be made unemployed .

Labour has criticised the government for “short-changing businesses and communities across the North” as the vast majority of businesses in areas under Tier 2 and Tier 3 Covid restrictions will receive insufficient or no government support.
Newly published party analysis has highlighted that small businesses forced to shut under the most severe level of Covid-19 measures will receive at most £500 a week of funding from local restrictions support grants.
As a result of changes to government financial aid announced by the Chancellor, this is significantly less than the average £1,666 a week that the same companies received in similar state support during the initial lockdown earlier this year.
The grants are only offered to businesses legally forced to close, which means those in Tier 2 areas are not eligible for any support despite facing massive falls in revenue due to the tough social distancing measures being imposed.
Commenting on the results of the new analysis from Labour, shadow business minister Lucy Powell said: “The government is short-changing businesses and communities across the North.
“Locking them down but offering just a third of the support given to businesses nationally during the first lockdown is a kick in the teeth that makes a mockery of the levelling up agenda.”
Labour criticised the government last week for “clawing back” unspent business grants, which would see £448m stripped from areas in Tier 2 and 3 restrictions, with Liverpool and Manchester losing £44m and £19m respectively.
The support was initially provided by the government in March to help struggling businesses cope with the consequences of coronavirus, but the money came with a ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ clause mandating that it be spent by August 30th.
Powell at the time described the government’s decision to enforce the clause and force local authorities across the country to hand back the unused grant money – which totals £1.3bn – as a “smash and grab raid on business support”.
She added: “Clawing back hundreds of millions of pounds from areas facing tougher restrictions just adds insult to injury. They need to urgently rethink their approach and ensure areas facing the toughest restrictions get a fair deal.”
The government announced a tiered lockdown system this week. Under the new approach, areas in the lowest tier follow the current national guidelines while those in higher tiers face more severe restrictions.
In Tier 3, the highest of the three categories, members of more than one household are banned from mixing in any indoor setting – meaning retail, hospitality and leisure businesses would be legally forced to shut.
The local lockdown support scheme aims to give funding to those businesses that are forced to shut, but it is significantly lower now than similar support offered when there was a nation-wide lockdown from March.
Under the economic measures, the smallest businesses in the highest tier of restrictions, with a rateable value of less than £15,000, will receive just £334 per week – compared to an average of £666 during the initial lockdown.
These companies, alongside those worth between £15,000 and £51,000 who receive £500 a week, were found by Labour to make up 90% of all the retail, hospitality and leisure businesses that would be forced to close in a Tier 3 lockdown.
Labour has also expressed concerns about the extra costs being placed on businesses and employees in regions of the North of England by the government’s newly proposed local furlough programme for Tier 3 areas.
This will see the government pay 67% of a worker’s wage if their employer’s business is forced to close under Tier 3 rules. But fears have been raised about those on minimum wage, who will see their already low income cut by a third.
The policy offers more government support than the national job support scheme, which sees employers also contribute to paying unworked hours by staff. Many firms will find it cheaper to fire half their workforce rather than save jobs.
Concerns have since been voiced that the more generous support for Tier 3 areas creates a perverse incentive for regions to seek harsher lockdowns, as opposed to cash-strapped local businesses under Tier 2 going without extra government aid.
Recent research found that only 230,000 jobs would be saved by the Chancellor’s main job support scheme and job retention bonus and predicted that just under two million people in otherwise viable work could be made unemployed.


labourlist--2020-10-15--Businesses need clarity, says Labour as poll finds half not prepared for Brexit

Ed Miliband has declared that “ businesses desperately need clarity ” on post-Brexit arrangements as a new report has found that almost half are not prepared for the transition period to come to an end .
Responding to the publication of a report by the Institute of Directors today , the Shadow Business Secretary has stressed it is “ vital that Boris Johnson delivers the oven-ready trade deal he promised ” during his general election campaign .
The research released found in its survey of company directors that 45 % of all businesses were not ready for Brexit , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not sure they will be prepared by the end of the year .
Commenting on the challenge facing UK companies , Miliband said : “ Businesses are experiencing extreme uncertainty , facing the pressures of the coronavirus crisis , a deep recession and the end of the transition period approaching .
“ It is vital that Boris Johnson delivers the oven-ready trade deal he promised was ready and then answers the questions so many businesses are asking about the future arrangements they need to plan for .
“ Businesses desperately need clarity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the moment , with less than three months to go , many sectors are not being given the level of detail they need.
” The report also found that over half of all those surveyed , 54 % , think that the coronavirus pandemic will “ exacerbate/magnify a no-deal outcome ” in the trade negotiations currently ongoing between the UK and the EU .
Miliband added : “ To help them survive in the here and now and protect jobs , businesses across the country must also have access to the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tighten to help tackle the virus.
” Labour slammed the government for “ short-changing businesses and communities across the North ” on Thursday and argued that the vast majority of businesses in areas under Tier 2 and Tier 3 Covid restrictions will receive insufficient support .
Commenting on the combined impact of Covid and Brexit , Institute of Directors ’ Allie Renison said : “ The prospect of no deal would be daunting enough , let alone dealing with it in the middle of a global pandemic.
” The senior policy adviser added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancel each other out ” , and warned : “ Reacting to the pandemic has taken up so much of business leaders ’ time and energy throughout the year… “ Brexit adjustments will further add to businesses ’ cashflow challenges in the months ahead .
The government must look to how it can smooth that process .
“ Financial support as seen in other countries , whether through vouchers to help access advice or through extending tax reliefs to facilitate that adjustment , would give small firms a much better chance of coping.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that small businesses forced to shut under the most severe level of Covid-19 measures will receive at most £500 a week of funding from local restrictions support grants .
As a result of changes to government financial aid announced by the Chancellor , this is significantly less than the average £1,666 a week that the same companies received in similar state support during the initial lockdown earlier this year .
Labour ’ s Rachel Reeves warned earlier this month that the government ’ s approach to negotiations with the EU is adding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many sectors across the country .
The Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster argued : “ Following the ninth round of scheduled talks , it ’ s vital that the Tory government and the EU intensify efforts to deliver the oven-ready deal that was promised.
” There are a number of issues outstanding in the negotiations , including the level of access for EU fishing vessels to UK waters .
EU leaders sent a letter to Johnson on Thursday , telling the government it must accept the EU ’ s conditions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will make a decision today , as the current summit with the European bloc comes to a close , on whether there are grounds to continue the talks .
The transition period is set to conclude on December 31st .
Johnson told voters that would deliver an ‘ oven-ready ’ deal during the general election campaign as part of his pledge to the electorate to ‘ get Brexit done ’ .
The Conservative government signed the withdrawal agreement with the EU in January this year but has since brought forward the controversial internal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that agreement .

Ed Miliband has declared that “businesses desperately need clarity” on post-Brexit arrangements as a new report has found that almost half are not prepared for the transition period coming to an end.
Responding to the publication of a report by the Institute of Directors today, the Shadow Business Secretary has stressed it is “vital that Boris Johnson delivers the oven-ready trade deal he promised” during his general election campaign.
The research released found in its survey of company directors that 45% of all businesses were not ready for Brexit, with 24% telling the organisation that they are not sure they will be prepared by the end of the year.
Commenting on the challenge facing UK companies, Miliband said: “Businesses are experiencing extreme uncertainty, facing the pressures of the coronavirus crisis, a deep recession and the end of the transition period approaching.
“It is vital that Boris Johnson delivers the oven-ready trade deal he promised was ready and then answers the questions so many businesses are asking about the future arrangements they need to plan for.
“Businesses desperately need clarity to prepare for the future – and at the moment, with less than three months to go, many sectors are not being given the level of detail they need.”
The report also found that over half of all those surveyed, 54%, think that the coronavirus pandemic will “exacerbate/magnify a no-deal outcome” in the trade negotiations currently ongoing between the UK and the EU.
Miliband added: “To help them survive in the here and now and protect jobs, businesses across the country must also have access to the economic support they need as public health restrictions tighten to help tackle the virus.”
Labour slammed the government for “short-changing businesses and communities across the North” on Thursday and argued that the vast majority of businesses in areas under Tier 2 and Tier 3 Covid restrictions will receive insufficient support.
Commenting on the combined impact of Covid and Brexit, Institute of Directors’ Allie Renison said: “The prospect of no deal would be daunting enough, let alone dealing with it in the middle of a global pandemic.”
The senior policy adviser added that “these disruptions won’t cancel each other out”, and warned: “Reacting to the pandemic has taken up so much of business leaders’ time and energy throughout the year…
“Brexit adjustments will further add to businesses’ cashflow challenges in the months ahead. The government must look to how it can smooth that process.
“Financial support as seen in other countries, whether through vouchers to help access advice or through extending tax reliefs to facilitate that adjustment, would give small firms a much better chance of coping.”
Analysis published by Labour has highlighted that small businesses forced to shut under the most severe level of Covid-19 measures will receive at most £500 a week of funding from local restrictions support grants.
As a result of changes to government financial aid announced by the Chancellor, this is significantly less than the average £1,666 a week that the same companies received in similar state support during the initial lockdown earlier this year.
Labour’s Rachel Reeves warned earlier this month that the government’s approach to negotiations with the EU is adding to the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic for many sectors across the country.
The Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster argued: “Following the ninth round of scheduled talks, it’s vital that the Tory government and the EU intensify efforts to deliver the oven-ready deal that was promised.”
There are a number of issues outstanding in the negotiations, including the level of access for EU fishing vessels to UK waters. EU leaders sent a letter to Johnson on Thursday, telling the government it must accept the EU’s conditions.
The Prime Minister has declared that he will make a decision today, as the current summit with the European bloc comes to a close, on whether there are grounds to continue the talks.
The transition period is set to conclude on December 31st. Johnson told voters that would deliver an ‘oven-ready’ deal during the general election campaign as part of his pledge to the electorate to ‘get Brexit done’.
The Conservative government signed the withdrawal agreement with the EU in January this year but has since brought forward the controversial internal market bill, which intentionally overwrites sections of that agreement.


labourlist--2020-10-15--Drakeford launches ‘Welsh Labour Together’ in Q&A with members

Mark Drakeford has launched the ‘ Welsh Labour Together ’ online conference with a Q & A session with members this evening .
Many of the questions from attendees were understandably about the pandemic , and the First Minister explained to participants about plans being considered for a ‘ circuit break ’ lockdown .
But the Welsh Labour leader also covered lots of other topics , touching on the controversial internal market bill , holiday hunger and the transition to a green economy .
He also described his personal support for piloting a basic income and discussed with attendees his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Labour in Wales organised the online Welsh Labour Together conference after its usual annual gathering was cancelled due to Covid .
The party unveiled its programme of events earlier this week with virtual rallies , panel discussions and workshops running from October 15th to 23rd .
Check out the full timetable here .
On the pandemic , the First Minister declared this evening that “ if we don ’ t act now to get on top of the virus then our NHS will come under genuine threat ” and said that Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ circuit break ’ lockdown .
He explained to Labour members the advice that his government has received from experts , and told attendees at the online meeting that the Welsh government would be making a decision on Monday as to whether it will implement the measure .
Drakeford said : “ We may well need a circuit break , a couple of weeks where we really bear down .
Where we go back , more or less , to the full restrictions we had back in March and April to create a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Today , I ’ ve had meetings with all 12 leaders of local authorities in Wales , with the Labour group , with our parliamentary Labour Party colleagues , with the social partnership council for Wales… “ There ’ s a lot of intensive work to do tomorrow and over the weekend , and on Monday the cabinet will meet again and we will decided whether or not this is the right course of action for Wales… “ The choice is not between staying where we are and doing a circuit breaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at the moment a circuit breaker is what our advisers are telling us would be the most effective intervention we could make.
” His comments this evening followed an announcement by Drakeford on Wednesday that restrictions on people travelling to Wales from Covid hotpots in England , Northern Ireland and Scotland will come into place on Friday this week .
Following rejected requests from Drakeford for the UK government to stop people coming into the devolved nation from areas with high prevalences of the virus , he has said he will use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He described the clash with the UK government over restricting travel tonight as “ quite a falling out with the Prime Minister ” , and added it “ demonstrates the tin ear that the Tories have for what matter most to people who live in Wales ” .
The First Minister also talked about the tracing system in Wales , explaining to members that the Welsh government had taken the decision to establish its system as a public service , instead of outsourcing the function as has the UK government .
He set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Wales and argued that “ as a result… our figures are in a very , very different place ” to the performance figures for the privately run test and trace system in the NHS .
He added : “ That is because we have run it in that public service way , with people knowing that if they hand over their information to us , it ’ s not going into the records of some private , profit-making company.
” Drakeford told members that of all the candidates for leader in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one he knew best since they had worked together when Starmer was the Shadow Brexit Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn .
The Welsh First Minister praised Starmer ’ s “ grasp of the detail ” as well as his “ chess-playing way ” of thinking , explaining to members present that it has been “ very easy to form an effective working relationship ” with the new leader .
He said : “ I was always hugely impressed by his grasp of the detail and his ability , in that of a chess-playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moves ahead , but to really chart where the decisions that we were being asked to make would lead us… “ It ’ s been very easy to form an effective working relationship with him since he became the leader , and we have very regular discussions directly between him and me , but with his office as well we have a monthly session.
” Drakeford said that the Labour leader has a “ genuine interest in Wales and in the constitution of the UK ” , mentioning the ‘ Call Keir ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Welsh voters who did not vote Labour at the last general election .
Starmer proposed creating a new federal structure in the UK that would deliver a “ radical devolution of power ” , pledging to start a process of constitutional reform through “ consultation and discussion with communities ” .
Drakeford added this evening : “ We work very closely together on a shared agenda… and I ’ m really looking forward to being out there with him as part of Welsh Labour ’ s campaign as we move into next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming elections in May 2021 suggested a three-way fight for the Senedd between Labour , the Tories and Plaid Cymru .
The Welsh Labour Party was shown to be polling last month at 34 % .
The Welsh Labour leader discussed the controversial internal market bill currently going through the House of Lords , describing how it would take control away from Wales , including particularly on food standards and animal welfare regulations .
He told members : “ We are fighting the internal market bill as hard as we can .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Lords , if you can imagine such an ermine-clad idea , but we do have a lot of friends… who are prepared to make this case .
“ I think we will win in the House of Lords .
And then we will see whether this government is prepared to override not simply the refusal of the Senedd to consent to the bill , but the refusal of the House of Lords to allow it to go forward unamended.
” Drakeford said last month that the internal markets bill represents a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settlement as it would take back powers that have been devolved to Wales , Northern Ireland and Scotland for 20 years .
The UK government also asked the devolved nations for their consent to the EU Withdrawal Act .
But the Welsh , Scottish and Northern Irish assemblies all made clear their opposition to the Brexit bill – yet it went through regardless .
Welsh minister Jeremy Miles told LabourList last month that the bill had been “ corrosive of relations within the UK ” , and described how the relationship between Westminster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s premiership .
Drakeford tonight declared at the Zoom meeting tonight that Johnson is a “ real threat to the UK ” , and added : “ The bill that he is promoting is in the vanguard of that threat , and that ’ s why we will be opposing it as hard as we can.
” Despite breaking international law by containing provisions to overwrite parts of the withdrawal agreement signed with the EU in January , the controversial piece of legislation completed its passage through the Commons last month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an important agenda for us ” and told attendees this evening that he would be working hard to ensure that Wales is well represented at the next COP meeting in Glasgow in 2021 .
Addressing first the challenge facing Wales in terms of biodiversity , the First Minister said : “ Wales is such a beautiful place and on the surface everything looks fine , but under that surface we ’ ve seen real loss in species , in habitat… “ We are determined as a Welsh government to invest in restoring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the experts is , if we act now we can still recover that ground – let it go another five years , and it might simply be too late.
” The Welsh government announced in March this year that it would be investing £5m into a new scheme to create a national forest across the length and breadth of Wales by linking existing woodland with new forests , parkland and hedges .
Drakeford then turned to the importance of renewable energy in the climate crisis , but also in terms of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wales through job creation , describing how it must be a “ cornerstone ” of the nation ’ s future .
He said : “ As a nation , we were the first in and the first out of the first industrial revolution… But we have a real opportunity to be at the forefront of the next energy revolution.
” The First Minister stressed the wealth of resources that Wales possesses in relation to manufacturing renewable energy , emphasising how well endowed Wales is with the potential for wind and wave power .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we need to turn Wales into a renewable energy powerhouse for the future in which we create new technologies here in Wales that create jobs here… and allow us to export that knowledge and that development to other parts of the world .
“ But we have to be serious about it .
We have to put it at the top of our list of things we want to achieve in the next Senedd term… It is so important to our future and would bring jobs and prosperity to parts of Wales where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Institute for Welsh Affairs last year set out a ten-point plan in which Wales can meet 100 % of its energy needs from renewable sources under 2035 while supporting 20,150 jobs annually by 2035 .
Asked by one attendee about a basic income , Drakeford told the virtual meeting that he “ personally ” is in favour of piloting the idea but reminded them that it is not the leader , but Welsh Labour Party members , who make policy .
He described how he had explored the proposal when a PhD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniformed political party which had been campaigning for the ‘ social dividend ’ in the 1930s .
Drakeford said : “ The social dividend is an early form of basic income .
And I ’ ve been interested in it ever since .
So , the pilot I think we are most likely to be able to approach and work on is a pilot for young people leaving care.
” He added : “ If we were able to supplement the incomes that they have from other sources – whether that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work – and to make that up to a basic income that would be enough for people to rely upon and to live on , then I think we would learn a lot about a basic income pilot.
” Drakeford previously voiced his support for the policy idea in 2017 , when he described it to the Senedd as “ attractive ” but also warned that politicians would have a “ job ” to convince the public on the merits of the policy .
At the time he also questioned whether the Welsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority to implement such a pilot , but said the proposal has “ potential to make a significant contribution to addressing poverty and inequality ” .
On the economy and the focus for Labour in Wales , the Welsh Labour leader told members tonight that the government needs to work on the “ foundational economy ” instead of focusing on attracting international investment .
Drakeford argued : “ We ’ ve been a bit dazzled sometimes in Wales trying to attract inward investment , and that is very important… but international capital is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suits it and leaves when it doesn ’ t. ” He used the example of the closure of the Ford engine plant in Bridgend , announced last year , which had been in operation for over 40 years .
When the company notified its staff it would be closing , the site employed 1,644 workers .
The First Minister explained : “ The foundational economy are those jobs that you can ’ t move out of communities .
You can ’ t offshore caring jobs , you can ’ t offshore retail jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are about producing jobs either.
” Drakeford told attendees that the Welsh government would be giving greater value to “ those sorts of economic activities ” in pursuing this approach to create secure and lasting jobs .
Earlier today , the Welsh Labour government announced that it would spend £11m to make sure free school meals are provided during every school holidays up to and including the Easter break in 2021 .
He told attendees this evening : “ This is to address food hunger and food poverty , amongst children in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the UK to have made that commitment .
We ’ re the only part of the UK to have a ‘ holiday hunger ’ scheme… “ We need to be banging the drum for that decision .
That £11m was hard to find , I can tell you .
Rebecca Evans , our finance minister , really worked hard to find a way of putting that money together .
“ So that we could tell people , those families now , that in this half term they won ’ t have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food to feed their children because free school meals will be available.
” The UK government is under pressure to extend the same support to children in England .
It has said its holiday activities and food programme underlines the commitment to tackling holiday hunger .
But the programme of support in place in schools in England covers only 17 local authority areas and has not yet been extended for the autumn half-term and the Christmas holiday period .
Footballer Marcus Rashford , whose campaign forced Johnson into a U-turn on school meals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the announcement by the Welsh government today to protect “ the most vulnerable children across the country ” .
More than 200,000 children in England have had to skip meals because their family could not access sufficient food during lockdown , and 2.4 million children are living in food insecure households .
The Trussell Trust has forecast that there will be a 61 % increase in food parcels needed between October and December , and warned that extreme poverty could double by Christmas .

Mark Drakeford has launched the ‘Welsh Labour Together’ online conference with a Q&A session with members this evening. Many of the questions from attendees were understandably about the pandemic, and the First Minister explained to participants about plans being considered for a ‘circuit break’ lockdown.
But the Welsh Labour leader also covered lots of other topics, touching on the controversial internal market bill, holiday hunger and the transition to a green economy. He also described his personal support for piloting a basic income and discussed with attendees his relationship with the new UK Labour leader.
Labour in Wales organised the online Welsh Labour Together conference after its usual annual gathering was cancelled due to Covid. The party unveiled its programme of events earlier this week with virtual rallies, panel discussions and workshops running from October 15th to 23rd. Check out the full timetable here.
Covid
On the pandemic, the First Minister declared this evening that “if we don’t act now to get on top of the virus then our NHS will come under genuine threat” and said that Wales may need to be placed under a ‘circuit break’ lockdown.
He explained to Labour members the advice that his government has received from experts, and told attendees at the online meeting that the Welsh government would be making a decision on Monday as to whether it will implement the measure.
Drakeford said: “We may well need a circuit break, a couple of weeks where we really bear down. Where we go back, more or less, to the full restrictions we had back in March and April to create a break in the transmission of the virus…
“Today, I’ve had meetings with all 12 leaders of local authorities in Wales, with the Labour group, with our parliamentary Labour Party colleagues, with the social partnership council for Wales…
“There’s a lot of intensive work to do tomorrow and over the weekend, and on Monday the cabinet will meet again and we will decided whether or not this is the right course of action for Wales…
“The choice is not between staying where we are and doing a circuit breaker. Something will have to be done and at the moment a circuit breaker is what our advisers are telling us would be the most effective intervention we could make.”
His comments this evening followed an announcement by Drakeford on Wednesday that restrictions on people travelling to Wales from Covid hotpots in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will come into place on Friday this week.
Following rejected requests from Drakeford for the UK government to stop people coming into the devolved nation from areas with high prevalences of the virus, he has said he will use devolved powers to implement the ban.
He described the clash with the UK government over restricting travel tonight as “quite a falling out with the Prime Minister”, and added it “demonstrates the tin ear that the Tories have for what matter most to people who live in Wales”.
The First Minister also talked about the tracing system in Wales, explaining to members that the Welsh government had taken the decision to establish its system as a public service, instead of outsourcing the function as has the UK government.
He set out the local health teams approach implemented in Wales and argued that “as a result… our figures are in a very, very different place” to the performance figures for the privately run test and trace system in the NHS.
He added: “That is because we have run it in that public service way, with people knowing that if they hand over their information to us, it’s not going into the records of some private, profit-making company.”
Relationship with new UK Labour leadership
Drakeford told members that of all the candidates for leader in the 2020 leadership election, Keir Starmer was the one he knew best since they had worked together when Starmer was the Shadow Brexit Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn.
The Welsh First Minister praised Starmer’s “grasp of the detail” as well as his “chess-playing way” of thinking, explaining to members present that it has been “very easy to form an effective working relationship” with the new leader.
He said: “I was always hugely impressed by his grasp of the detail and his ability, in that of a chess-playing way to think not one or two moves ahead, but to really chart where the decisions that we were being asked to make would lead us…
“It’s been very easy to form an effective working relationship with him since he became the leader, and we have very regular discussions directly between him and me, but with his office as well we have a monthly session.”
Drakeford said that the Labour leader has a “genuine interest in Wales and in the constitution of the UK”, mentioning the ‘Call Keir’ sessions that Starmer had held to talk to Welsh voters who did not vote Labour at the last general election.
Starmer proposed creating a new federal structure in the UK that would deliver a “radical devolution of power”, pledging to start a process of constitutional reform through “consultation and discussion with communities”.
Drakeford added this evening: “We work very closely together on a shared agenda… and I’m really looking forward to being out there with him as part of Welsh Labour’s campaign as we move into next year.”
A recent survey on the upcoming elections in May 2021 suggested a three-way fight for the Senedd between Labour, the Tories and Plaid Cymru. The Welsh Labour Party was shown to be polling last month at 34%.
Internal market bill
The Welsh Labour leader discussed the controversial internal market bill currently going through the House of Lords, describing how it would take control away from Wales, including particularly on food standards and animal welfare regulations.
He told members: “We are fighting the internal market bill as hard as we can. We are in the trenches in the House of Lords, if you can imagine such an ermine-clad idea, but we do have a lot of friends… who are prepared to make this case.
“I think we will win in the House of Lords. And then we will see whether this government is prepared to override not simply the refusal of the Senedd to consent to the bill, but the refusal of the House of Lords to allow it to go forward unamended.”
Drakeford said last month that the internal markets bill represents a “smash and grab” on the devolution settlement as it would take back powers that have been devolved to Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland for 20 years.
The UK government also asked the devolved nations for their consent to the EU Withdrawal Act. But the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish assemblies all made clear their opposition to the Brexit bill – yet it went through regardless.
Welsh minister Jeremy Miles told LabourList last month that the bill had been “corrosive of relations within the UK”, and described how the relationship between Westminster and Cardiff had deteriorated under Boris Johnson’s premiership.
Drakeford tonight declared at the Zoom meeting tonight that Johnson is a “real threat to the UK”, and added: “The bill that he is promoting is in the vanguard of that threat, and that’s why we will be opposing it as hard as we can.”
Despite breaking international law by containing provisions to overwrite parts of the withdrawal agreement signed with the EU in January, the controversial piece of legislation completed its passage through the Commons last month.
Climate crisis
Drakeford described how “this is such an important agenda for us” and told attendees this evening that he would be working hard to ensure that Wales is well represented at the next COP meeting in Glasgow in 2021.
Addressing first the challenge facing Wales in terms of biodiversity, the First Minister said: “Wales is such a beautiful place and on the surface everything looks fine, but under that surface we’ve seen real loss in species, in habitat…
“We are determined as a Welsh government to invest in restoring that biodiversity loss. The advice we have from the experts is, if we act now we can still recover that ground – let it go another five years, and it might simply be too late.”
The Welsh government announced in March this year that it would be investing £5m into a new scheme to create a national forest across the length and breadth of Wales by linking existing woodland with new forests, parkland and hedges.
Drakeford then turned to the importance of renewable energy in the climate crisis, but also in terms of the specific benefits new energy could bring to Wales through job creation, describing how it must be a “cornerstone” of the nation’s future.
He said: “As a nation, we were the first in and the first out of the first industrial revolution… But we have a real opportunity to be at the forefront of the next energy revolution.”
The First Minister stressed the wealth of resources that Wales possesses in relation to manufacturing renewable energy, emphasising how well endowed Wales is with the potential for wind and wave power.
He said: “We have everything we need to turn Wales into a renewable energy powerhouse for the future in which we create new technologies here in Wales that create jobs here… and allow us to export that knowledge and that development to other parts of the world.
“But we have to be serious about it. We have to put it at the top of our list of things we want to achieve in the next Senedd term… It is so important to our future and would bring jobs and prosperity to parts of Wales where that has been in short supply.”
The Institute for Welsh Affairs last year set out a ten-point plan in which Wales can meet 100% of its energy needs from renewable sources under 2035 while supporting 20,150 jobs annually by 2035.
Basic income
Asked by one attendee about a basic income, Drakeford told the virtual meeting that he “personally” is in favour of piloting the idea but reminded them that it is not the leader, but Welsh Labour Party members, who make policy.
He described how he had explored the proposal when a PhD student researching the Green Shirts, a uniformed political party which had been campaigning for the ‘social dividend’ in the 1930s.
Drakeford said: “The social dividend is an early form of basic income. And I’ve been interested in it ever since. So, the pilot I think we are most likely to be able to approach and work on is a pilot for young people leaving care.”
He added: “If we were able to supplement the incomes that they have from other sources – whether that’s the benefits system or through often precarious work – and to make that up to a basic income that would be enough for people to rely upon and to live on, then I think we would learn a lot about a basic income pilot.”
Drakeford previously voiced his support for the policy idea in 2017, when he described it to the Senedd as “attractive” but also warned that politicians would have a “job” to convince the public on the merits of the policy.
At the time he also questioned whether the Welsh government had the power as a devolved authority to implement such a pilot, but said the proposal has “potential to make a significant contribution to addressing poverty and inequality”.
Foundational economy
On the economy and the focus for Labour in Wales, the Welsh Labour leader told members tonight that the government needs to work on the “foundational economy” instead of focusing on attracting international investment.
Drakeford argued: “We’ve been a bit dazzled sometimes in Wales trying to attract inward investment, and that is very important… but international capital is foot-loose free. It comes when it suits it and leaves when it doesn’t.”
He used the example of the closure of the Ford engine plant in Bridgend, announced last year, which had been in operation for over 40 years. When the company notified its staff it would be closing, the site employed 1,644 workers.
The First Minister explained: “The foundational economy are those jobs that you can’t move out of communities. You can’t offshore caring jobs, you can’t offshore retail jobs, you can’t offshore jobs that are about producing jobs either.”
Drakeford told attendees that the Welsh government would be giving greater value to “those sorts of economic activities” in pursuing this approach to create secure and lasting jobs.
Holiday hunger
Earlier today, the Welsh Labour government announced that it would spend £11m to make sure free school meals are provided during every school holidays up to and including the Easter break in 2021.
He told attendees this evening: “This is to address food hunger and food poverty, amongst children in particular. We are the only part of the UK to have made that commitment. We’re the only part of the UK to have a ‘holiday hunger’ scheme…
“We need to be banging the drum for that decision. That £11m was hard to find, I can tell you. Rebecca Evans, our finance minister, really worked hard to find a way of putting that money together.
“So that we could tell people, those families now, that in this half term they won’t have to be going to the foodbank to find food to feed their children because free school meals will be available.”
The UK government is under pressure to extend the same support to children in England. It has said its holiday activities and food programme underlines the commitment to tackling holiday hunger.
But the programme of support in place in schools in England covers only 17 local authority areas and has not yet been extended for the autumn half-term and the Christmas holiday period.
Footballer Marcus Rashford, whose campaign forced Johnson into a U-turn on school meals for the summer holiday, has welcomed the announcement by the Welsh government today to protect “the most vulnerable children across the country”.
More than 200,000 children in England have had to skip meals because their family could not access sufficient food during lockdown, and 2.4 million children are living in food insecure households.
The Trussell Trust has forecast that there will be a 61% increase in food parcels needed between October and December, and warned that extreme poverty could double by Christmas.