Havant Labour welcomes the government announcement that for all those in regular employment, the government will pay employers so they can pay up to 80% of their employees wages. This will hopefully mean that employers will not lay off any of their staff during this hard time.

However, whilst there has been good news for employed people, the news is bleak for those who are self-employed.

They now have to live on £94 a week. The Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on the BBC’s Question Time last week that he couldn’t live on that – so why should self-employed people have to?

Havant Labour are calling on the government to do more for the self-employed.

Whether this is some kind of raise in welfare benefits during this pandemic, or even a form of Universal Basic Income is up to the government.

Keep well everyone.