WITH Southampton’s job market heavily dependent on retail, hospitality and offices, our city is facing a jobs crisis.

The coronavirus has hit our local economy hard and whilst the Government has done all it can to protect businesses and jobs, this Labour council has done exactly the opposite.

It has actively gone out of its way to make things tougher for businesses in our city, whilst receiving millions of pounds from the Government in additional support.

They have ignored calls to provide free parking to encourage people to return to the city after lockdown, whilst simultaneously restricting traffic flows into the city centre at precisely the point we need people to travel in.

With the end of the Chancellor’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, furlough tailing off and winter rapidly approaching, our city’s shops, bars, restaurants and other small businesses desperately need our help.

They need our council to step up and show our city is open for business.

Over the coming weeks and months thousands of jobs in our city are going to be at risk, and unless the Labour council changes its course to support businesses, those jobs will disappear.

Cllr David Fuller

Conservative Councillor for Bitterne Park