This evening we heard confirmation from government that the UK’s essential coronavirus lockdown period will be extended into May. While many businesses in our sector are still able to operate and, indeed, are making a critical contribution to the national effort, others have had no option but to reduce capacity or shut altogether. SMMT is doing all it can to help these businesses access the finance they need, not only to survive but to be in a position to ramp up to full speed when the right time comes.
Although the priority remains overcoming the virus and safeguarding automotive businesses, we need to think ahead to what lies beyond and how we are to restart an industry worth £56 billion in wages alone safely and efficiently. We’ll be discussing this and more at a special SMMT webinar next week. To find out more information and register, I encourage you to visit SMMT‘s dedicated online COVID-19 Hub. There you will also find all the latest government updates, as well as details of business and employment support measures and guidance on how to operate through the crisis.
