Businessmen and women across Ipswich are commended for the part they have played in responding to the coronavirus pandemic to mark Small Business Saturday.

This year, Small Business Saturday came at the end of a hugely challenging period for small businesses, with many facing long periods of closure and reduced income due to the pandemic.

Throughout the course of pandemic, the Government has provided more than £280 billion to support lives and livelihoods. This includes:

•  The furlough scheme, which has now been extended until the end of March and continues to support 3600 jobs in Ipswich.  
• Grants for the self-employed, which have been made more generous in light of recent national and local lockdown announcements, and which have benefitted 7900 of our residents.
• Loans and Government-backed grants which have helped businesses facing severely reduced income because of pandemic.
• VAT cuts and business rates holidays for many small businesses, including those in the hospitality and retail sectors.

Tom Hunt MP says "Happy small business Saturday. Spent a good proportion of my day visiting hospitality and retail businesses across Ipswich. 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year but I was pleased to lots of people out yesterday and today supporting so many of our small independent businesses. The picture of me with John Manning the owner of the House in Town on St Peter's Street, a very unique shop we're lucky to have. Good Churchill portrait in the background, not an accident!".

Our Conservative Government is determined not to be blown off course by the pandemic and deliver on its promise, made at the General Election one year ago, to level up towns and communities across the whole country. To aid this, the Chancellor has recently announced a new £4 billion Levelling Up Fund to improve the infrastructure people and businesses rely on every day, following the £3.6 billion Towns Fund, and £1 billion Future High Streets Fund, which are helping to transform town centres across the country.