We have been let down by the Chancellor.

During meetings with ministers, we were promised that action would be taken to tackle the underlying inequalities that led to so many avoidable Covid-19 deaths. Instead, the Government has announced welfare cuts that will significantly worsen those underlying inequalities. 

The Government claims to have learned lessons from the horrors of the pandemic. By its own admission, saving lives in the next pandemic isn’t just about specific resilience measures but ensuring the underlying fundamentals of our country are strong. The UK’s experience of the pandemic was shaped by inequalities - and the Government’s spending announcement yesterday will make those in poor health so much more vulnerable.  

In a pandemic, that puts US ALL at risk. 

Pushing thousands of disabled people deeper into poverty isn’t just cruel, it will put lives at risk when the next pandemic hits. Module 1 of the Covid Inquiry found that health and social inequalities contributed to the pandemic’s high death toll and in January the Government promised to tackle those inequalities head on. With the announcement of these cuts, that promise is being broken. 

Justice for the more than 230,000 who have so far died during this pandemic means fixing the underlying inequalities that left the UK with the second highest death toll in Europe. This is an insult to those we have lost to Covid, and a grave threat to everyone when the next crisis hits. 

With your support, we’ll keep campaigning. We can’t let the same mistakes be made again.