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Yesmien Bagh Ali
Features Writer
3:20 AM 25th July 2020
frontpage
Opinion

Rishi Sunak Lied To Me

 
Over the months we have heard nothing but false promises from the Government. One promise was that in this crisis, they would not leave anyone behind. Well, they certainly left me behind. I am a Muslim British woman, who, as a single parent, set up a business in 2007 to support my family. I asked for no benefits other than child support.

photo Koen Dohle
photo Koen Dohle
And I have not been left behind on my own; I have plenty of company. There are over three million British citizens that are excluded from any help whatsoever. There are many who are quick to stereotype single parents, labelling them as benefit reliant, and totally failing to recognise all those hardworking individuals, like myself, who are proudly independent, and who have invested time and money setting up their own businesses to better family life.

Small businesses are often overpowered by the big businesses, and struggle to make a profit or break even. The Government has in the past encouraged the setting up of small businesses and now, in our hour of need, we have been deserted.

There are over three million British citizens that are excluded from any help whatsoever.


For the last four months there has been no form of support from the Government. It’s not that we want hand-outs. On the contrary, we want to get back to work and feel the dignity of being self-sufficient. However, with the country in semi-lock down, for many small businesses, as with large companies, it is simply not possible.

Not knowing when or where I shall be able to generate an income is taking a huge toll on me mentally. It is a constant struggle against depression and anger. Again, I am not alone. Many small businesses are forced to close, with hardworking people having to sell their homes to provide food for their families.

Advising people to apply for a loan isn’t the answer, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, unless you will be paying for it.

I have watched the Government dishing out grants, furloughing staff and now giving out vouchers to eat out. I understand some of these schemes have been extremely important to keep the economy going, but there are also many who have misused the support and many who took advantage of the schemes. Meanwhile, three million self-employed are left to despair.

I can’t help but feel that our country has been taken over by politicians who don’t care or understand our plight. Hard working people are losing their homes, selling their cars, eating into their life savings, accumulating unmanageable debts that are destroying themselves and their families.

Rishi Sunak is rejecting our pleas and excluding us, abandoning millions. I thought that Sunak was going to be our hero, someone who would treat us all equally after he kept promising he would look after all and would leave no one behind. More fool me!

The Government is breaking the rules of their own policies on treating everyone equally. There is no equality for more than three million British citizens left behind.

No thanks to him, or the uncaring Government, I have found a support group, ExcludedUK, who are campaigning and working tirelessly with many concerned MPs and celebrities, such as Martin Lewis, to get the Chancellor to recognise his failures and ensure no one is abandoned.

I don’t get upset that easily, but it makes me furious when I see workers who don’t need the support, being paid to stay at home; or companies misusing the support package, while the three million without any form of support, who have been suffering for months, receive not a penny. Where has the multi-billion-pound Covid 19 support package gone? Where has a responsible, caring Government gone?

We will not forget this injustice, and the campaigners are getting stronger each day. If you are among the small businesses, or individuals excluded by the government, visit the website. https://www.excludeduk.org/excluded-uk-an-inclusive-alliance-for-the-excluded

Join the ExcludedUK https://www.facebook.com/groups/excludeduk
https://twitter.com/excludeduk