In our latest series of leadership quotations, we hear from the prime minister and the shadow education secretary on free school meals, from Dominique Pennington on adult social care, from David Richardson on the need for businesses to reinvent themselves, and from Paul Knight on the future of the seafood industry.
Boris Johnson
‘I totally understand the issue. It is there, we have to deal with it. The debate is how you deal with it. We don't want to see children going hungry this winter, this Christmas, certainly not as a result of any inattention by this Government. And you are not going to see that.’ (The prime minister in response to criticism over free school meals)
Kate Green
‘Warm words from Boris Johnson will do nothing for the over 1.4 million children at risk of going hungry this half term that he and his MPs refused to help last week. Labour will not give up on the children and families let down by this Government and we will hold the Prime Minister to his word, forcing another vote in Parliament if necessary. The Government must now make children a national priority, and ensure that no child goes hungry.’ (Labour’s shadow education secretary in response to the prime minister)
Dominique Pennington
‘Spending in the adult healthcare sector is falling, but the population is ageing and growing. A comprehensive spending review is sorely needed to return funding in health, care and local government services to a sustainable level.’ (The care co-ordinator of The Gables Rest Home on the adult healthcare sector)
David Richardson
‘I started a policy of taking a deposit for my services and allowing customers to spread payments over the next two years interest free and that actually made a fantastic difference. Businesses that are having all these difficulties should look at reinventing the business, should look at the business administration, look at the budgeting, look at the financial control, look at rebranding and restructuring if necessary.’ (The South West Asset Protection managing director on adapting to the new environment)
Paul Knight
‘In Scotland, we have some of the best seafood in the world and while the European market will always be very important, the emergence of worldwide markets, especially the Far East – in particular China – have given our sector a new lease of life. Our European markets are diminishing, so in order to keep the business on its current trajectory, we need to act. The purchase price to fishermen has the scope to double or even treble with these new markets, turning a once poorly paid sector into a thriving positive one that will become attractive to young people once again.’ (The PDK Shellfish managing director on the future of his industry)
Vaughan Gething
‘This is simply wrong. It's an incorrect reading of the regulations and the guidance. I am very sorry that this woman was given this information. Supermarkets are open and trading as are many other shops and are able to sell the wide range of everyday items that we all need. But there are some other items that won't be on sale for the next two weeks. These are items that other high street shops, which are currently closed, can't sell at the moment.’ (Wales’ health minister after a woman was told she couldn’t buy sanitary products at Tesco as a result of the Welsh government’s ‘firebreak’ lockdown)
