Leicestershire Councillors sign letter calling for Chancellor to give support to thousands excluded from help in the County
A group of Leicestershire Councillors have joined Councillors from across the East Midlands in signing a letter to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak calling for more support for those excluded from government Covid support schemes.
An estimated three million people across the country and tens of thousands here in Leicestershire, largely self employed people have not been included in past government support schemes.
The letter to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak calls for the government to act and include people excluded in future government support schemes.
Among those signing the letter were Leicestershire Lib Dem Finance spokesman Councillor Michael Mullaney. Michael said "With the Covid-19 restrictions having started now almost a year ago, and a more stringent lockdown ongoing it's essential more than ever that the government step in to support those struggling to make ends meet. Because of the loopholes in government support schemes there are tens of thousands of people here in Leicestershire who are having to worry not only about the health effects of Covid-19 on themselves and their families but the financial impact as well. It's no wonder so many people are suffering from stress due to this double worry.
"I hope the Chancellor will listen to all of us who have signed this letter and to groups like Excluded UK and ensure that the people who have been excluded from help previously get included in future schemes."
Cllr Jonathan Harris author of the letter said ' Daventry Lib Dem Councillors took a motion to council to request that Daventry District Council lobbied the Chancellor of the Exchequer and our MP about the plight of the Excluded. These are tax paying citizens who are so important to our economy and who have been forgotten and ignored by the Chancellor's COVID support schemes. It is with frustration and sadness that we faced the motion being rejected by the Conservative majority on the council. Their lack of support for this group didn't mean that we should give up lobbying, so Lib Dem councillors from across the East Midlands have come together and given voice to the request that the Chancellor addresses the problems the Excluded face and finds a way to bring parity to the support scheme and a lifeline to the 3 million Excluded."
Excluded UK campaign for the three million people excluded from government schemes they can be found at www.excludeduk.org and on Twitter @excludeduk