SHADOW chief secretary to the Treasury Bridget Phillipson MP called for the government to give more long-term support to small businesses.

She spoke to staff from The Tuppenny during a virtual visit to Swindon and will take what they told her back to Parliament to inform debates over future funding.

Ms Phillipson said: “This visit will shape the questions we ask of government in terms of the certainty and confidence that businesses need.

“We’ve lurched from one announcement to the next, we have not had a long-term plan to allow businesses to plan ahead and to make sure they can keep staff on and keep going strong through January.

“They faced a tough climate and it was incredibly useful to hear from Ed Dyer of all the changes he and his team made to try to come through this.

“What’s clear to me is that businesses need certainty and support from the government, especially in the run up to Christmas. It would be an absolute tragedy if great businesses that did everything asked of them aren’t properly supported into the new year.

“The hospitality sector is a vital part of Swindon's economy and they need to know that the government understands the challenges they face and will put in place financial support which has to run hand-in-hand with the restrictions.

“The government has to ensure that businesses don’t go to the wall because of short-sighted government decision-making.

“I hope with Small Business Saturday and the Shop Local campaign, residents will support those fantastic local businesses that are the backbone of the community."

The beginning of a vaccine rollout offers some comfort to businesses, but only if they can stay afloat long enough to return to normality.

Bridget Phillipson added: “We know the vaccine is coming, so it would be short-sighted to not put in place the right support now to allow businesses, workers and families to get through to the new year.

“We do see light at the end of the tunnel but the government must make the right responsible choices and plan ahead so that workers stay in jobs and communities like Swindon have a bright future ahead.

“The lack of certainty is making what is already a difficult task far harder. That’s why the Shop Local initiative is a fantastic one as it will allow local people to support businesses and local jobs.

“What’s also important is the regeneration in Swindon and the many great ideas that businesses have about changes that would make this an even better place to live but that requires a fresh set of ideas about the future and new leadership to drive that forward."