Northumberland’s Labour group has welcomed the speech given by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, saying as the country emerges from the pandemic it cannot return to business as usual.

Labour Group leader Susan Dungworth said: “2020 has been a very difficult year for so many people and 2021 is still difficult.

“Families have lost loved ones, people are suffering from long Covid, people have been furloughed and some have lost their jobs, health and social care has been put under severe pressure, businesses have been severely affected and some may never reopen and there has been a drastic impact on children and young people in education.

“The pandemic has shone a light on the already deep divide between the haves and have nots. The Conservatives want to get back to business as usual but, we in Labour want something different; the hope of a better future for everyone.

“As the leader said, Labour’s priorities are the British people’s priorities. That means getting people vaccinated so we can secure our economy, protect the NHS and rebuild the country.

“In Northumberland we want to put people first and we know that supporting businesses as they recover from loss of business and closures will be crucial to this.

“And Labour is committed and determined to see that people who were already disadvantaged before the pandemic get the support they need. We have seen people being plunged into poverty through no fault of their own. A Labour-led council will make their recovery a priority.

“The Conservatives are imposing a massive hike in council tax and cutting Universal Credit at a time when people can least afford it. This cannot be right.

“Surely we need to target resources and support where it’s needed to enable people to recover from this dreadful pandemic and the impact it has had on their lives.”

“Our manifesto includes ensuring that people are paid fairly for the work they do. If people have more in their pockets they spend more and the economy benefits.

“If the will is there we can make Northumberland the best county for everyone resident to live, learn, work and grow old in. That’s our pledge.”