CAROLINE ANSELL MP: Nobody wants Lockdown Number Four

I understand many want an end to restrictions and a return to normal life but unless we can get infections right down, this will happen only briefly before we might be forced to lockdown again.

No-one wants this and now we have vaccines it shouldn’t have to happen. However, we must be sure the jabs stop serious illness and, even better, transmission. The initial findings on this seem good with big drops in infections rates of those top four priority groups that have received the jab. We must be cautious and, with new variants around, it is important we are certain.

The most important thing is for schools to reopen and it appears March 8 is going to be the date. I have spoken to ministers to push for all schools to be first out of lockdown. It may be that secondary schools have a phased return to ensure Covid testing arrangements are in place but primary schools should be able to open fully without delay.

Just how successful the UK has been with its vaccination programme was seen by me first hand when I visited the Sovereign Centre last week. The wonderful news that 20,000 people have been given the vaccine at just this one Eastbourne location shows just how efficient the programme is. It was moving to see people coming forward and welcomed by the team there. I would like to thank everyone who has played their part across the town. It is a game changer.

We are now rightly looking towards the future and how we build back better. The borough council is struggling but its financial challenge pre-dates the impact of the pandemic. The town will remember the council’s proposal to sell off the downland farms to balance the books back in 2016. The government has stepped in, and I will continue to do all I can to secure every penny of support, but change must come.

Many things will change, especially around working from home, but others need to simply come back, not least Eastbourne’s tourism and hospitality sectors. One in four jobs in our town depend on it. My campaign for the reduction in VAT to five per cent for these industries to stay continues and I haven’t taken my foot off the pedal. I was described as ‘relentless’ by the Chancellor on this issue the other day and I am thinking about printing myself a T-shirt with that on it.

The government also continues to support the vulnerable and I welcome more than £1 million being given to East Sussex County Council and a smaller sum to Eastbourne Borough Council to support and house victims of domestic violence. Lockdown has been challenging, and I confess, I have found this latest stretch very difficult and dispiriting, but for those living in fear, it has been a version of hell.

Please keep safe and to the rules. Those rules are saving lives.