We have to tackle the virus first and the economy next

It’s crucial that everyone understands the vaccine is safe to take, and is effective. I urge you to ignore the misleading rumours flying around about the vaccine and to take it when it is offered to you. It’s only by everyone getting vaccinated that we can put an end to this awful virus.

I contracted it myself in January, but it was the recent deaths of two personal friends, ex-Newham resident Pc Sukh Singh and Canning Town resident Victor Adegbuyi, that reinforced for me how important it is that we do everything we can to make sure no more people die needlessly.

Unmesh Desai is glad the plan to get out of lockdown is slow and cautious (Image: City Hall)

The prime minister outlined the plan last week for getting us out of lockdown, and it is a slow and cautious plan – finally the Tories have got this right, after many failures. Although it’s difficult for small businesses and people who have lost their jobs, we have to tackle the virus first and the economy next. We can revive the economy in the summer, but we cannot resurrect the dead.

I have been working with several unions to fight local redundancies or “fire and rehire” changes to workers’ terms and conditions – at UEL, British Gas and BT. None of this would be necessary if the government were providing proper support to affected businesses during the crisis. With a roadmap now laid out for the year, the government need to step up and help London, and the UK, get to the finish line.

As we head into the May 2021 elections for the London Assembly and the Mayor of London, I am proud to say I work with a mayor who is very clearly putting London first – the announcement of an extra £30m for the Met to keep Londoners safe is just one recent example.

Voting this year will be more difficult because of Covid-19, so I encourage everyone to get a postal vote, via the council website newham.gov.uk

That will mean you get to vote whatever happens on election day.