He's 'missing in action'
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been slammed for being in California while struggling businesses in the hospitality sector plead for support.
It comes as business leaders urged the government to step in and provide greater support for the hospitality and live event industries as Brits begin to stay at home and cancel social events following a surge in the number of Omicron Covid cases. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty also urged people yesterday to scale back their social lives and not mix with people unless they have to.
The Mirror revealed that the Chancellor Rishi Sunak however is in California rather than in the country working on a plan to help struggling businesses.
Sources told the paper that the chancellor is on a four-day official trip.
The TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady accused the chancellor of being “missing in action”. Frances said: “The Chancellor should be stood next to the prime minister, announcing help to pay wages, save jobs and stop businesses going to the wall.”
One London restaurant alone was reported to have had more than 300 cancellations in the last two days alone.
In response to the revelations Sunak was in California, a Treasury spokesperson said: “It is a work trip where he is conducting Government business and has a packed schedule of meetings and round tables”.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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