Labour: Sunak's economic policies are throwback 'to worst days of Thatcher'
29 September 2020, 22:30
Labour has accused Rishi Sunak of implementing economic policies that hark back "to the worst days of Thatcher".
The opposition party accused the chancellor of the exchequer of adopting a "sink-or-swim mentality" that will hit "people on the lowest incomes" hardest.
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds pointed out several areas where she believes the government is failing with plans announced last week in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Dodds said: "The chancellor should have protected jobs with a proper work-sharing scheme that incentivised employers to keep more staff on.
"Instead, he's telling British business to start laying people off because no more help is coming.
"This wasn't by accident, it was by design.
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"The chancellor's sink-or-swim mentality is a throwback to the worst days of (Margaret) Thatcher and, just like in the 1980s, people on the lowest incomes will pay the highest price.
"Britain now faces an unemployment crisis, and it's got Rishi Sunak's name all over it."
Ms Dodds has written to the chancellor stating that the Job Support Scheme makes it more expensive for employers to keep workers on part-time than keeping some on full-time and making others redundant.
And she said the Winter Economy Plan did not incentivise or support training.
Ms Dodds also said there is "no support for sectors most affected by social distancing measures and unable to take staff back".
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