ExcludedUK to hold Lobby Weeks to connect excluded freelancers with their MPs
Bectu is encouraging all freelancers and self-employed creatives excluded from government financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic to take part in Excluded UK’s “Lobby Weeks” initiative to bring their issues in front of MPs.
ExcludedUK is a volunteer-run grassroots non-profit organisation campaigning on behalf of 3 million individuals who have fallen through the cracks of government financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic through no fault of their own.
As part of its lobbying, the organisation has successfully launched the ExcludedUK All Party Parliamentary Group, with more than 200 MPs already signed up.
Now that Parliament has resumed, the Lobby Weeks aim to bring together affected constituents with their MPs to discuss their concerns at being left with no meaningful government support for close to six months.
ExcludedUK will facilitate a series of online events where groups of affected constituents can meet online with their MP.
These events will start on 11 September and run through to the end of this month, in the first instance.
Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “We welcome this move by ExcludedUK to bring affected people together with their MPs.
“Many of our members have already written to their MP but this is a chance to have a face-to-face conversation and really share the personal impact on themselves and their families of getting no financial support during these already very difficult times.
“It will also help the wider campaign to persuade the government to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme for those unable to return to work yet, and to include all those who have received no support so far.”
Register for Lobby Weeks
- If you would like to participate in the ExcludedUK Lobby Weeks, please register your interest by completing a short survey to enable them to match groups of constituents with their MPs.
More information
- More about ExcludedUK.
- “Excluded but not forgotten” (22 July) – a webinar held by Bectu with Excluded UK. Speakers: shadow cultural industries minister Tracy Brabin MP, Excluded UK’s Sonali Joshi; Jamie Stone MP and head of Bectu Philippa Childs.
- Please write to your MP asking them to support freelancers who have fallen through the cracks, using
