East Midlands Chamber responds to national lockdown announcement

East Midlands Chamber is welcoming One-off £9,000 business grants, but says firms need the inside track to the Government’s plan for coming out of the newly-announced national lockdown.

Responding to the Government’s announcement of a third national lockdown for England, East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) chief executive Scott Knowles said: “After a desperate 2020 for businesses and communities, a third national lockdown is another devastating blow to business confidence as it follows hard on the heels of lost trade during the festive season – not to mention the uncertainty that prevailed up until the eleventh hour of the Brexit transition period.

“The Government’s need to act in the face of spiralling threat to public health is obviously understood but after already spending billions on helping good firms to survive this crisis and save jobs, it must not let these companies fail now when the vaccine rollout provides light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.

“The Chancellor’s announcement today of a one-off £9,000 grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will hopefully help keep their heads above water for a couple more months, but Westminster must remember financial support – while certainly welcomed and required – is no substitute for a fully open economy that allows businesses to generate their own revenue.

“It’s now time for the Government to open the lines of communication with businesses by sharing its plan for how the brakes will be lifted on the economy over the coming months to allow businesses to plan properly.”

For more information on guidance and business support available during the current lockdown, visit our Covid-19 support page here.