Our country is now gripped in a public health crisis of a scale not seen in a generation. We and others around the world are now facing an enormous task of protecting life, while also maintaining as best we can, the jobs and livelihoods of our citizens.
The measures required to tackle this crisis are some of the greatest ever seen in peacetime.
Many of our fellow residents in Lincolnshire are concerned about the spread of the virus, and especially those who are older and vulnerable. I want to make it very clear that the government’s absolute priority is to save lives and minimise suffering. Advice is being issued daily based on scientific guidance and can be found through the link www.gov.uk/coronavirus
There is no easy way out of this very difficult situation, but this week the government announced an unprecedented package of government-backed loans and guarantees to support our businesses, as well as funding to support the most vulnerable in our community and the NHS. A boost of £330 billion in guarantees and tax cuts has been provided to help businesses pay their rent, salaries of employees and suppliers, together with measures on Statutory Sick Pay, paying mortgages and new funding for councils.
In addition, I and other MPs across parties, and the country, are working around the clock to help and assist constituents in most need. My office has been inundated with correspondence that my team and I are seeking to address as quickly as we can.
I have also been very pleased to see organisations stepping up and offering new ways to help support our community, whether that is supermarkets offering specific opening hours to the elderly, local businesses providing community support beyond their normal operations; or individuals checking in on neighbours and running errands. Britain has faced its challenges before and got through them, just as we will get through this. We are best when we stick together and help each other. Of course the government should do whatever it takes to get us through this crisis, but it is also incumbent on all of us to look out for each other.
