Some voluntary groups have closed and farmers report problems after slow disbursal of UK funds to replace EU money
Hundreds of voluntary organisations have been forced to shut up shop or scale back their operations because of government delays in replacing EU funding, the Guardian has learned, as the consequences ofThree years after Boris Johnson was swept to power promising to “get Brexit done”, a Guardian reporting project finds employers, farmers and charities are stillA new analysis of government funding intended to replace EU support, shows multimillion-pound gaps in funding for farming and economic...
But by that time it was too late for “hundreds of organisations”, said Matthew Brown, director of operations at the WCVA.Wales economy minister and Labour Senedd member Vaughan Gething claims Westminster’s carve-up of replacement funds has left Wales with £772m less in ERDF and ESF funds, a figure denied by the government. “The entire approach to the Shared Prosperity Fund has been chaotic,” he said.
Employers claim that while the new skilled worker visa scheme at the heart of the government’s “points-based” immigration system covers a wider range of jobs than in the past, it is bureaucratic and costly to administer. Bringing in low-skilled workers from overseas has become all but impossible under the new system. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, said: “That’s where we’ve got the most difficulties – you can recruit an executive chef but if you don’t have a kitchen porter, the kitchen can’t open. If you don’t have housekeeping, the hotels can’t open: those basic skills are needed.” Ministers have encouraged firms to look closer to home for staff.
He called on the government to resolve the impasse over the Northern Ireland protocol to smooth the way to a better working relationship on other issues.
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