CAMPAIGNERS representing UK taxpayers who say they were left without financial support during the Covid19 Pandemic are calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to honour years of public promises as the Labour Party gathers in Liverpool for its annual conference.
ExcludedUK is stepping up pressure on the Prime Minister over the long-running fallout from gaps in pandemic support, with campaigners now seeking an apology, parity of support and financial redress.
The Labour Conference, taking place in Liverpool from:- 27 to 30 September 2026, comes 6.5 years after ExcludedUK began campaigning on behalf of those affected.
The group estimates that around:- 3.8 million people; roughly 10% of the UK workforce; were affected, including:- self employed workers, new business owners, directors paid in dividends, PAYE freelancers and people on parental leave.
Campaigners say these individuals were left ineligible for state assistance while being legally restricted from trading.
ExcludedUK says the Prime Minister is already well aware of the campaign and the issues its members have raised.
Jennifer Griffiths, Head of ExcludedUK, said the community is not asking Mr Burnham to discover the issue for the 1st time, but to follow through on commitments he has made over several years.
In April 2025, Mr Burnham wrote to campaigner Tim Pravda stating that there was a limit to what could be achieved from outside Parliament.
Less than 18 months later, he is in Downing Street.
Ms Griffiths says that although time has passed, the financial, personal and mental health strain remains acute in 2026 for people whose livelihoods were ruined.
Mr Burnham's public involvement with the issue dates back to:- 3 December 2020, when he argued that taxpayers should not be penalised for contributing to the economy.
Speaking on LBC on:- 5 January 2021, he described the situation as an issue of basic fairness and humanity and warned that failing to act would trigger a mental health crisis on top of the pandemic.
By March 2022, writing in the Evening Standard, he highlighted the heavy debts many excluded workers were carrying into the cost of living crisis and pledged that they would not be allowed to be forgotten.
His rhetoric intensified during an:- ExcludedUK livestream on:- 24 June 2024, when he described the level of injustice faced by the group as indefensible.
During the broadcast, Mr Burnham said support for the campaign remained strong and argued that there were fair, proportionate and doable ways to frame financial redress.
According to ExcludedUK, more than 20 different categories of workers were affected by the design of Government relief schemes.
The organisation reports severe long-term consequences, including business closures, lost savings and debt.
ExcludedUK also says there has been a tragic loss of life, with at least:- 37 suicides linked directly to the financial strain of exclusion.
Campaigners argue that the passage of time has not removed the damage suffered by those affected.
As the Prime Minister prepares to deliver his leader's speech in Liverpool, ExcludedUK is now calling on the Government to formally recognise the issue.
What does ExcludedUK want? The campaign is seeking three main outcomes:-
1. An apology from Government... ExcludedUK wants the injustice to be formally recognised, together with an assurance that it will never happen again.
2. Parity of support... The group is calling for parity with those who received financial assistance.
3. Recognition of financial losses... Campaigners want acknowledgement of lost earnings or profit, as well as consequential losses.
ExcludedUK maintains that the new Government now has an opportunity to address an issue its leader repeatedly promised to champion.
More information is available from:- ExcludedUK.Org, while people interested in getting involved can email:- ExcludedUK@Hotmail.Com.
If you were among those affected during the Pandemic, we would like to hear your experiences and your views on ExcludedUK's campaign.
Please do let us know your thoughts on this topic below, as we love to hear your views.... You can also email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com, or contact us through our social media channels:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.
ExcludedUK is stepping up pressure on the Prime Minister over the long-running fallout from gaps in pandemic support, with campaigners now seeking an apology, parity of support and financial redress.
The Labour Conference, taking place in Liverpool from:- 27 to 30 September 2026, comes 6.5 years after ExcludedUK began campaigning on behalf of those affected.
The group estimates that around:- 3.8 million people; roughly 10% of the UK workforce; were affected, including:- self employed workers, new business owners, directors paid in dividends, PAYE freelancers and people on parental leave.
Campaigners say these individuals were left ineligible for state assistance while being legally restricted from trading.
ExcludedUK says the Prime Minister is already well aware of the campaign and the issues its members have raised.
Jennifer Griffiths, Head of ExcludedUK, said the community is not asking Mr Burnham to discover the issue for the 1st time, but to follow through on commitments he has made over several years.
In April 2025, Mr Burnham wrote to campaigner Tim Pravda stating that there was a limit to what could be achieved from outside Parliament.
Less than 18 months later, he is in Downing Street.
Ms Griffiths says that although time has passed, the financial, personal and mental health strain remains acute in 2026 for people whose livelihoods were ruined.
Mr Burnham's public involvement with the issue dates back to:- 3 December 2020, when he argued that taxpayers should not be penalised for contributing to the economy.
Speaking on LBC on:- 5 January 2021, he described the situation as an issue of basic fairness and humanity and warned that failing to act would trigger a mental health crisis on top of the pandemic.
By March 2022, writing in the Evening Standard, he highlighted the heavy debts many excluded workers were carrying into the cost of living crisis and pledged that they would not be allowed to be forgotten.
His rhetoric intensified during an:- ExcludedUK livestream on:- 24 June 2024, when he described the level of injustice faced by the group as indefensible.
During the broadcast, Mr Burnham said support for the campaign remained strong and argued that there were fair, proportionate and doable ways to frame financial redress.
According to ExcludedUK, more than 20 different categories of workers were affected by the design of Government relief schemes.
The organisation reports severe long-term consequences, including business closures, lost savings and debt.
ExcludedUK also says there has been a tragic loss of life, with at least:- 37 suicides linked directly to the financial strain of exclusion.
Campaigners argue that the passage of time has not removed the damage suffered by those affected.
As the Prime Minister prepares to deliver his leader's speech in Liverpool, ExcludedUK is now calling on the Government to formally recognise the issue.
What does ExcludedUK want? The campaign is seeking three main outcomes:-
1. An apology from Government... ExcludedUK wants the injustice to be formally recognised, together with an assurance that it will never happen again.
2. Parity of support... The group is calling for parity with those who received financial assistance.
3. Recognition of financial losses... Campaigners want acknowledgement of lost earnings or profit, as well as consequential losses.
ExcludedUK maintains that the new Government now has an opportunity to address an issue its leader repeatedly promised to champion.
More information is available from:- ExcludedUK.Org, while people interested in getting involved can email:- ExcludedUK@Hotmail.Com.
If you were among those affected during the Pandemic, we would like to hear your experiences and your views on ExcludedUK's campaign.
Please do let us know your thoughts on this topic below, as we love to hear your views.... You can also email our Newsroom at:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com, or contact us through our social media channels:- Mastodon, Facebook, or Twitter.