Pinned Tweet
MEDIA RELEASE FROM #ExcludedUK
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday 28 October 2026
PM ANDY BURNHAM WILL REGRET THIS! 20 PROMISES CAUGHT ON VIDEO AS EXCLUDEDUK DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BUDGET DAY
Six years of promises, no financial redress and not even the apology he pledged to pursue. e Prime Minister with his own words as Chancellor John Healey delivers the Autumn Budget.
4 houses and 2 businesses lost in the last 6 weeks alone!!!!
WATCH THE VIDEO: youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spent more than six years publicly championing the plight of the estimated 3.8 million UK taxpayers excluded from meaningful Covid-19 financial support.
Now ExcludedUK is reminding him of 20 promises and commitments captured on video, as the Government delivers its first Autumn Budget under his leadership.
Words of support. Promises of action. Commitments to justice. Reassurances that the campaign would not be forgotten.
All caught on camera. All waiting to be honoured.
For years, Andy Burnham was one of ExcludedUK's most vocal political supporters, participating in numerous campaign events and repeatedly expressing his determination to see the injustice rectified.
Now, as Prime Minister, he has the opportunity to turn those words into meaningful action.
Jennifer Griffiths, Head of ExcludedUK, who personally co-hosted several events with Andy Burnham, said:
"Andy Burnham was one of our loudest and most passionate political champions. I co-hosted several events with him, and time and time again, he made commitments to support our fight for justice.
"He told us financial redress was fair, proportionate and doable. He spoke about the injustice being indefensible. He understood the devastation caused to people who had dutifully paid into the system, only to be abandoned when they needed help most.
"He pledged to pursue an apology. He spoke about putting things right. He told us that the passage of time did not change the injustice.
"Now he is Prime Minister, and we are still waiting.
"Not even the apology has materialised. An apology costs absolutely nothing, yet six years later, we are still waiting for that too.
"Andy, we believed you. Our members believed you. Your words gave people hope when many had absolutely none left.
"Those commitments were not whispered behind closed doors. They were made publicly, repeatedly, and we have them on video.
"Twenty promises and commitments. Twenty reminders of the hope you gave us. Twenty reasons why we are not going away.
"You told us this injustice could and should be rectified. Now you have the authority to help make that happen.
"Prime Minister, we are holding you to your word."
THE AUTUMN BUDGET: WHERE IS THE JUSTICE FOR EXCLUDED TAXPAYERS?
As Chancellor John Healey delivers the Government's Autumn Budget today, ExcludedUK is demanding answers about the continuing absence of a financial remedy for those excluded from the Covid-19 support schemes.
The Chancellor has promised a Budget focused on supporting British businesses, easing financial pressures and restoring hope.
ExcludedUK recognises the importance of helping households, businesses and the self-employed through today's economic challenges.
However, the campaign questions how the Government can speak of fairness and opportunity while the financial devastation experienced by excluded taxpayers remains unresolved.
During the pandemic, billions of pounds were distributed through Government financial support schemes, yet an estimated 3.8 million taxpayers found themselves falling through the gaps.
Many were self-employed workers, limited company directors, freelancers, new starters, people on maternity leave and small business owners.
They were taxpayers who had contributed to the country's finances, only to discover that the support available to others was inaccessible to them.
Dutifully paid in. Deliberately left out.
The consequences have been catastrophic.
Businesses have closed. Family homes have been lost. Relationships have broken down. People's physical and mental health has deteriorated.
Tragically, the campaign has also supported families bereaved by suicide and members who have survived suicide attempts.
For these people, the impact of exclusion did not end when lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Jennifer Griffiths continued:
"We hear politicians talk about supporting entrepreneurs, investing in small businesses and rewarding hardworking taxpayers.
"Yet what about those taxpayers who lost everything because they were excluded from the financial lifelines offered to others?
"How can we talk about rebuilding Britain's economy without acknowledging the businesses that were destroyed and the people whose financial security was shattered?
"You cannot build a fairer Britain by continuing to overlook those who were unfairly excluded.
"We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for parity, accountability and justice.
"Every Budget that passes without addressing this injustice is another reminder of the promises that remain unfulfilled."
EXCLUDEDUK TAKES THE EVIDENCE DIRECTLY TO PARLIAMENT
Today, Wednesday 28 October 2026, ExcludedUK is taking its message directly to Westminster.
A digital video van is circulating Parliament Square between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, displaying powerful testimonies from excluded taxpayers, the human consequences of exclusion and the political commitments made to the campaign.
The van is taking the voices of those who have been ignored for more than six years directly to the heart of Government.
The campaign is also drawing attention to footage of Andy Burnham's repeated commitments to ExcludedUK.
Watch the video of his promises here:
youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
WHAT EXCLUDEDUK IS DEMANDING
Our three demands remain unchanged:
1. An apology from Government so this injustice is recognised, together with an assurance that this will never happen again.
2. Parity of support
3. Acknowledgement of loss of earnings/profit and consequential loss.
These demands are not new. They are the same fundamental principles of fairness and accountability that ExcludedUK has been fighting for since May 2020.
We dutifully paid in, but were deliberately left out.
Lives and livelihoods lost.
More than 40 lives have been lost to suicide among those affected by exclusion, according to ExcludedUK's records, while our dedicated mental health and welfare team has provided vital support to hundreds of people experiencing severe distress.
"PRIME MINISTER, WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN. HAVE YOU?"
Jennifer Griffiths concluded:
"Andy Burnham once told us that the passage of time did not change the injustice. He was right.
"Six years have passed, but those words are as relevant today as they were when he first spoke them.
"The difference is that he is no longer simply a politician offering support from the sidelines.
"He is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
"He has the opportunity to demonstrate that those promises were more than words.
"Twenty promises and commitments, all captured on video. Millions of taxpayers still waiting for justice.
"To those who have lost their businesses, their homes, their livelihoods and, in some tragic cases, their loved ones, this is about far more than politics.
"It is about accountability. It is about fairness. It is about restoring faith in the promises made by those who seek our trust.
"Prime Minister, we haven't forgotten. Have you?
"We Are Not Going Away. We Are Relentless."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
About ExcludedUK
ExcludedUK is a grassroots campaign representing the estimated 3.8 million UK taxpayers excluded from meaningful Government financial support during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The campaign seeks parity of financial support, official recognition, accountability and fair financial redress for those affected.
ExcludedUK works alongside the Gaps in Covid-19 Financial Support All-Party Parliamentary Group to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of exclusion.
Video of Andy Burnham's commitments to ExcludedUK:
youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
Budget Day campaign activity:
ExcludedUK digital video van, Parliament Square, Westminster, Wednesday 28 October 2026, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm
Media enquiries:
Jennifer Griffiths
Head of ExcludedUK
jennifer@excludeduk.org
Website: excludeduk.org
#ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
Come on @andyburnham ... remember your promises to #ExcludedUK members and fulfil your promise to stand by the excluded!
youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
🚨PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE OUR EXCLUDEDUK PETITION🚨
✍️ PLEASE SIGN IT HERE:
WHILST WE ARE WAITING FOR PM ANDY BURNHAM TO HAND OUT THE PARITY HE PROMISED…. 🚨THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HELP….🚨 ✍️ SIGN our Parliamentary petition petition.parliament.uk/petitions/7813…
💜 DONATE to help fund the campaign: buymeacoffee.com/excludeduk
🌐 VISIT our website to learn more about ExcludedUK excludeduk.org
🔗 FOLLOW & SHAREour Linktree to find all our social media channels and campaign links linktr.ee/excludedukoffi…
📣 SHARE our posts and help keep #ExcludedUK visible
🏛️ CONTACT YOUR MPand ask them to support ExcludedUK and the Gaps in Covid-19 Financial Support APPG.. even ask them to join by emailing admin@excludeduk.org
Every signature, donation, share and voice helps.
@JohnHealey_MP @ExcludedFighter @SadieMHarris @JohnMartinComic @inkbyboston @harrisonmaxwell @NickFerrariLBC @ITVX @PA @ExcludedUK @andyburnham @JohnHealey_MP @downingstreet @switherdenMP @MP4Stratford @AlPinkerton @gregsmith_uk @RichardNewby3 @ExcludedFighter @SadieMHarris @APPGGapsSupport @UKLabour @LibDems @Conservatives @theSNP @reformparty_uk @thisisyourparty @Plaid_Cymru @TheGreenParty @thatginamiller @MartinSLewis @JohnDCaudwell @itvnews @GMB @GBNEWS @BigIssue @LBC @itvnews @BBCNews @PA @AP @BBCBreakfast #Excluded #Covid19 #APPG #PMQs #FinancialRedress #BounceBackLoans #MentalHealth #justicefortheexcluded
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday 28 October 2026
PM ANDY BURNHAM WILL REGRET THIS! 20 PROMISES CAUGHT ON VIDEO AS EXCLUDEDUK DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BUDGET DAY
Six years of promises, no financial redress and not even the apology he pledged to pursue. e Prime Minister with his own words as Chancellor John Healey delivers the Autumn Budget.
4 houses and 2 businesses lost in the last 6 weeks alone!!!!
WATCH THE VIDEO: youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has spent more than six years publicly championing the plight of the estimated 3.8 million UK taxpayers excluded from meaningful Covid-19 financial support.
Now ExcludedUK is reminding him of 20 promises and commitments captured on video, as the Government delivers its first Autumn Budget under his leadership.
Words of support. Promises of action. Commitments to justice. Reassurances that the campaign would not be forgotten.
All caught on camera. All waiting to be honoured.
For years, Andy Burnham was one of ExcludedUK's most vocal political supporters, participating in numerous campaign events and repeatedly expressing his determination to see the injustice rectified.
Now, as Prime Minister, he has the opportunity to turn those words into meaningful action.
Jennifer Griffiths, Head of ExcludedUK, who personally co-hosted several events with Andy Burnham, said:
"Andy Burnham was one of our loudest and most passionate political champions. I co-hosted several events with him, and time and time again, he made commitments to support our fight for justice.
"He told us financial redress was fair, proportionate and doable. He spoke about the injustice being indefensible. He understood the devastation caused to people who had dutifully paid into the system, only to be abandoned when they needed help most.
"He pledged to pursue an apology. He spoke about putting things right. He told us that the passage of time did not change the injustice.
"Now he is Prime Minister, and we are still waiting.
"Not even the apology has materialised. An apology costs absolutely nothing, yet six years later, we are still waiting for that too.
"Andy, we believed you. Our members believed you. Your words gave people hope when many had absolutely none left.
"Those commitments were not whispered behind closed doors. They were made publicly, repeatedly, and we have them on video.
"Twenty promises and commitments. Twenty reminders of the hope you gave us. Twenty reasons why we are not going away.
"You told us this injustice could and should be rectified. Now you have the authority to help make that happen.
"Prime Minister, we are holding you to your word."
THE AUTUMN BUDGET: WHERE IS THE JUSTICE FOR EXCLUDED TAXPAYERS?
As Chancellor John Healey delivers the Government's Autumn Budget today, ExcludedUK is demanding answers about the continuing absence of a financial remedy for those excluded from the Covid-19 support schemes.
The Chancellor has promised a Budget focused on supporting British businesses, easing financial pressures and restoring hope.
ExcludedUK recognises the importance of helping households, businesses and the self-employed through today's economic challenges.
However, the campaign questions how the Government can speak of fairness and opportunity while the financial devastation experienced by excluded taxpayers remains unresolved.
During the pandemic, billions of pounds were distributed through Government financial support schemes, yet an estimated 3.8 million taxpayers found themselves falling through the gaps.
Many were self-employed workers, limited company directors, freelancers, new starters, people on maternity leave and small business owners.
They were taxpayers who had contributed to the country's finances, only to discover that the support available to others was inaccessible to them.
Dutifully paid in. Deliberately left out.
The consequences have been catastrophic.
Businesses have closed. Family homes have been lost. Relationships have broken down. People's physical and mental health has deteriorated.
Tragically, the campaign has also supported families bereaved by suicide and members who have survived suicide attempts.
For these people, the impact of exclusion did not end when lockdown restrictions were lifted.
Jennifer Griffiths continued:
"We hear politicians talk about supporting entrepreneurs, investing in small businesses and rewarding hardworking taxpayers.
"Yet what about those taxpayers who lost everything because they were excluded from the financial lifelines offered to others?
"How can we talk about rebuilding Britain's economy without acknowledging the businesses that were destroyed and the people whose financial security was shattered?
"You cannot build a fairer Britain by continuing to overlook those who were unfairly excluded.
"We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for parity, accountability and justice.
"Every Budget that passes without addressing this injustice is another reminder of the promises that remain unfulfilled."
EXCLUDEDUK TAKES THE EVIDENCE DIRECTLY TO PARLIAMENT
Today, Wednesday 28 October 2026, ExcludedUK is taking its message directly to Westminster.
A digital video van is circulating Parliament Square between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, displaying powerful testimonies from excluded taxpayers, the human consequences of exclusion and the political commitments made to the campaign.
The van is taking the voices of those who have been ignored for more than six years directly to the heart of Government.
The campaign is also drawing attention to footage of Andy Burnham's repeated commitments to ExcludedUK.
Watch the video of his promises here:
youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
WHAT EXCLUDEDUK IS DEMANDING
Our three demands remain unchanged:
1. An apology from Government so this injustice is recognised, together with an assurance that this will never happen again.
2. Parity of support
3. Acknowledgement of loss of earnings/profit and consequential loss.
These demands are not new. They are the same fundamental principles of fairness and accountability that ExcludedUK has been fighting for since May 2020.
We dutifully paid in, but were deliberately left out.
Lives and livelihoods lost.
More than 40 lives have been lost to suicide among those affected by exclusion, according to ExcludedUK's records, while our dedicated mental health and welfare team has provided vital support to hundreds of people experiencing severe distress.
"PRIME MINISTER, WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN. HAVE YOU?"
Jennifer Griffiths concluded:
"Andy Burnham once told us that the passage of time did not change the injustice. He was right.
"Six years have passed, but those words are as relevant today as they were when he first spoke them.
"The difference is that he is no longer simply a politician offering support from the sidelines.
"He is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
"He has the opportunity to demonstrate that those promises were more than words.
"Twenty promises and commitments, all captured on video. Millions of taxpayers still waiting for justice.
"To those who have lost their businesses, their homes, their livelihoods and, in some tragic cases, their loved ones, this is about far more than politics.
"It is about accountability. It is about fairness. It is about restoring faith in the promises made by those who seek our trust.
"Prime Minister, we haven't forgotten. Have you?
"We Are Not Going Away. We Are Relentless."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
About ExcludedUK
ExcludedUK is a grassroots campaign representing the estimated 3.8 million UK taxpayers excluded from meaningful Government financial support during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The campaign seeks parity of financial support, official recognition, accountability and fair financial redress for those affected.
ExcludedUK works alongside the Gaps in Covid-19 Financial Support All-Party Parliamentary Group to raise awareness of the long-term consequences of exclusion.
Video of Andy Burnham's commitments to ExcludedUK:
youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
Budget Day campaign activity:
ExcludedUK digital video van, Parliament Square, Westminster, Wednesday 28 October 2026, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm
Media enquiries:
Jennifer Griffiths
Head of ExcludedUK
jennifer@excludeduk.org
Website: excludeduk.org
#ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
Come on @andyburnham ... remember your promises to #ExcludedUK members and fulfil your promise to stand by the excluded!
youtu.be/Yjm6ag4m1xI
🚨PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE OUR EXCLUDEDUK PETITION🚨
✍️ PLEASE SIGN IT HERE:
WHILST WE ARE WAITING FOR PM ANDY BURNHAM TO HAND OUT THE PARITY HE PROMISED…. 🚨THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HELP….🚨 ✍️ SIGN our Parliamentary petition petition.parliament.uk/petitions/7813…
💜 DONATE to help fund the campaign: buymeacoffee.com/excludeduk
🌐 VISIT our website to learn more about ExcludedUK excludeduk.org
🔗 FOLLOW & SHAREour Linktree to find all our social media channels and campaign links linktr.ee/excludedukoffi…
📣 SHARE our posts and help keep #ExcludedUK visible
🏛️ CONTACT YOUR MPand ask them to support ExcludedUK and the Gaps in Covid-19 Financial Support APPG.. even ask them to join by emailing admin@excludeduk.org
Every signature, donation, share and voice helps.
@JohnHealey_MP @ExcludedFighter @SadieMHarris @JohnMartinComic @inkbyboston @harrisonmaxwell @NickFerrariLBC @ITVX @PA @ExcludedUK @andyburnham @JohnHealey_MP @downingstreet @switherdenMP @MP4Stratford @AlPinkerton @gregsmith_uk @RichardNewby3 @ExcludedFighter @SadieMHarris @APPGGapsSupport @UKLabour @LibDems @Conservatives @theSNP @reformparty_uk @thisisyourparty @Plaid_Cymru @TheGreenParty @thatginamiller @MartinSLewis @JohnDCaudwell @itvnews @GMB @GBNEWS @BigIssue @LBC @itvnews @BBCNews @PA @AP @BBCBreakfast #Excluded #Covid19 #APPG #PMQs #FinancialRedress #BounceBackLoans #MentalHealth #justicefortheexcluded
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
You understood our financial demands in June 2024, @andyburnham.
We still demand an apology, parity of support and acknowledgement of lost earnings.
Why must we keep asking?
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
We still demand an apology, parity of support and acknowledgement of lost earnings.
Why must we keep asking?
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
@andyburnham says veterans can struggle “through no fault of their own”. That was also true when veterans, workers and business owners were excluded from Covid support. Will he now put right that injustice? #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
@andyburnham says people deserve “a proper plan and someone in their corner from day one”. The excluded had neither. Six years on, 3.8 million people still await acknowledgement, an apology and redress. #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
“People who stepped forward…should never lack a roof over their head,” said @andyburnham. Excluded veterans lost livelihoods and homes after being denied Covid support. Their service did not protect them from exclusion. #ExcludedUK #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
@andyburnham said Britain had failed to treat people “equally and fairly”. Few examples are clearer than the treatment of 3.8 million taxpayers during Covid. As PM, he now has the power to rectify it. #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
"Barely believable, actually."
What's even harder to believe, @andyburnham, is that six years later, 3.8 million excluded taxpayers STILL have no financial remedy or apology.
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
What's even harder to believe, @andyburnham, is that six years later, 3.8 million excluded taxpayers STILL have no financial remedy or apology.
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
@andyburnham promised “a new economy and a new politics”. That must include old injustices. ExcludedUK asks for an apology, parity of support and acknowledgement of lost earnings. Will he meet us? #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
You spoke of the brutality of the British state, @andyburnham.
For excluded taxpayers, that brutality meant lost homes, businesses and lives.
They need justice, not sympathy alone.
#ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway
For excluded taxpayers, that brutality meant lost homes, businesses and lives.
They need justice, not sympathy alone.
#ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway
0
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
Warm words are not enough. @andyburnham once called the treatment of the excluded “indefensible” and said the injustice must be rectified. Prime Minister, when will your Government meet ExcludedUK and act? #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
You recognised the mental health crisis caused by Covid exclusion, @andyburnham.
Families have lost loved ones. Others still live with devastating trauma.
How much suffering before justice?
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
Families have lost loved ones. Others still live with devastating trauma.
How much suffering before justice?
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
4,750 London Eyes. That’s how many UK taxpayers were excluded from Covid support by Rishi Sunak. 3.8 million people left behind. @andyburnham #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless excludeduk.org
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24
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
"Just ignored."
That's exactly how excluded taxpayers still feel, @andyburnham.
You gave them a voice and promised support. Now even our emails go unanswered.
Please don't become part of the silence.
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
That's exactly how excluded taxpayers still feel, @andyburnham.
You gave them a voice and promised support. Now even our emails go unanswered.
Please don't become part of the silence.
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
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0
19
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
Wembley Stadium, 42 times over. That’s how many UK taxpayers were excluded from Covid support by Rishi Sunak. 3.8 million people left behind. @andyburnham #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless excludeduk.org
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ExcludedUK Official retweeted
Different backgrounds. Every corner of the UK. One devastating injustice.
You recognised the scale of Covid exclusion, @andyburnham.
3.8 million taxpayers are still waiting for fairness.
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
You recognised the scale of Covid exclusion, @andyburnham.
3.8 million taxpayers are still waiting for fairness.
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
0
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22
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
The Colosseum, 64 times over. That’s how many UK taxpayers were excluded from Covid support by Rishi Sunak. 3.8 million people left behind. @andyburnham #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless excludeduk.org
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22
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
Recent headlines ask whether @andyburnham’s move towards social media risks less scrutiny. We have a question he can answer directly: when will he meet ExcludedUK and honour his promises to the 3.8 million? #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
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21
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
We worked hard. Paid our taxes. Played by the rules.
Yet when the pandemic struck, we were abandoned.
You recognised these hardworking taxpayers, @andyburnham. Will you stand up for them NOW?
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
Yet when the pandemic struck, we were abandoned.
You recognised these hardworking taxpayers, @andyburnham. Will you stand up for them NOW?
#ExcludedUK #Relentless
0
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21
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
On 28 October, @JohnHealey_MP called his Budget one “for the working people of Britain”. The excluded were working people too. Why did his Budget offer them no acknowledgement, apology or redress? #ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway #Relentless
0
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21
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
You said our voices weren't being heard, @andyburnham.
Six years later, we're STILL shouting to be heard.
You once amplified our voices. Please don't let them fall silent now.
#ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway
Six years later, we're STILL shouting to be heard.
You once amplified our voices. Please don't let them fall silent now.
#ExcludedUK #WeAreNotGoingAway
0
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20
ExcludedUK Official retweeted
@JohnHealey_MP says he is a Chancellor who “champions the small British firms” in our communities. Many such firms were devastated after being excluded from Covid support. Champion them now by addressing that injustice. #ExcludedUK #Relentless
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