Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer yesterday set out his plan of how Labour would seek to reconstruct the UK economy, helping it to build back prosperity post Covid. Hospitality will need to be at the forefront of rebuilding the UK economy, and as such the Labour leader’s plan does provide resources to help hospitality, if they ever come to fruition.
Starmer is generally labelled a centrist, but his plan is most certainly directed to the right of Labour ideology. It is also a million miles away from Jeremy Corbyn’s extreme leftist view of business being the enemy of the state.
The centre, or just to the right of it, for the time being at least, does seem to be a safe haven in avoiding political risk, even if like Johnson that location upsets colleagues that prefer locations further afield.
As hospitality businesses prepare for reopening later this year, two key elements of Starmer’s plan could also be adopted by government to help reset growth.
Big Business Partnerships
The Labour leader made ‘working with businesses’ central to his plan saying it is “pivotal to my leadership”. He made clear he was shelving his predecessors tainted views of business underling what he said was a false choice between a vigorous economy and improved equality of opportunity.
He emphasised a responsibility for businesses to focus on sustainability and corporate responsibility to stand tall alongside profit. A clear message to big businesses that he is prepared to sell the importance of working with them not only to the electorate, but his party.
Business Start-ups
Recognising that the hospitality industry and others will need not just capital but encouragement to restart, Starmer said that increased start up loans from government were needed to aid revitalising the economy.
There is already a government-backed scheme that provides investment for new businesses, Starmer attacked its record vigorously. His line of attack was twofold, geographically, through bias favouring London and the South East, and in scale and reach citing the scheme since 2012 had only seen 9,500 loan approvals.
Starmer pledged he would improve both and scale up assistance to grow new businesses vital to establishing and sustaining economic growth.
Both the position taken by the Labour leader on the current political landscape, and the emphasis on the importance of working with business should stand him in good stead. It could also justify Boris Johnson’s further maneuvering towards the same locations.
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Hospitality & Catering News: Starmer’s plan positive for hospitality echoing direction of travel for Johnson. – 19 February 2021 – Starmer’s plan positive for hospitality echoing direction of travel for Johnson.
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