Voice from Westminster

VOICE from WESTMINSTER Neil Coyle MP

This year has brought great hardship and suffering across our country, in our capital, and here in our beloved Southwark. We have seen the highest death toll from COVID in Europe and tens of thousands of families will be missing loved ones this Christmas. The year 2020 has been tragic on a human level and in terms of economic damage. A fifth of our economy has been lost and we are the worst hit country of the G7. In Bermondsey and Old Southwark, more than 5,000 people have already lost work and thousands more have been reliant on the furlough and self-employment income support schemes which the government only belatedly extended by default through the second lockdown.

The end of the first lockdown brought a glimmer of hope that was dashed as the government failed to administer an effective test and trace system, despite the best efforts of employers across our borough to participate, including those in the retail and hospitality sectors. The sacrifices of the first lockdown and costs of “COVIDsafe” measures in many businesses were squandered and the further – avoidable – lockdown imposed to try to reduce the rising covid infection rate. The easing of restrictions post-lockdown is another huge test and comes alongside positive news of vaccine developments and improvements in treating people with COVID. But public safety concerns mean this Christmas will not reap the usual rewards for Southwark businesses, especially with further growth in online shopping hitting high street firms. I believe online platforms need to pay their fair share of taxes, uphold employment rights and ensure consumer safety. I have been working with the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA), based in Southwark, on this issue. A shop would face heavy fines for putting fake or dangerous goods in their window, but online retail giants do not appear to face the same consequences. The BTHA recently reported that 60% of children’s toys sold online did not meet UK safety standards. This is hugely worrying; UK law needs to change to tackle the problem. I hope that the government acts to protect children as well as protect British businesses that make and sell genuine, safe toys. I’ve also been working closely with the Bermondsey-based Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) ahead of the January 1 Brexit transition deadline. The government told us that this would be the “easiest deal in history” but has squandered hundreds of millions of pounds telling businesses to be ready for a deadline without knowing what to be ready for. A limited deal, which is expected imminently, breaches most of the promises made by the Leave campaign and Boris Johnson on security (including Northern Ireland), economic access (especially for services) and more. But, with the threat of No Deal as the alternative, it appears that the country faces a Hobson’s Choice in order to protect the 43% of our exports which go to the EU. The WSTA and I campaigned against new, costly requirements on importing EU wines and convinced ministers to postpone government plans that would hit importers and wine drinkers. This would have done additional damage to our hospitality sector and thankfully we won a reprieve until July 2021 and hope to ensure that the government abandons the proposals in the new year. As this difficult year comes to an end, I thank you for your resilience and fortitude in fighting COVID and ensuring Southwark continues to be such an excellent community in which businesses and people can thrive. I hope that 2021 brings a brighter and more prosperous time.

‘The end of the first lockdown brought a glimmer of hope that was dashed as the government failed to administer an effective test and trace system, despite the best efforts of employers across our borough to participate, including those in the retail and hospitality sectors.’