London, Mar 18: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday attempted an optimistic reset amid reports of growing unrest within his own Conservative Party ranks as he unveiled a new package of reforms for small businesses and insisted the UK “economy is turning a corner”.The British Indian leader referenced his family-run pharmacy in the southern England port city of Southampton, where he was born and helped out as a schoolboy, as an example of his first-hand small business experience.
In an indirect message for the rebels, he stressed that it was important to stick with the plan for the economy that was working after a tough couple of years.
“There is now a real sense that the economy is turning a corner with all the economic indicators pointing in the right direction,” Sunak said during a Business Connect event in Warwickshire, in the Midlands region of England.
“This year, 2024, will be the year Britain bounces back… inflation has more than halved and is falling fast, growth is higher than anyone expected, debt is on track to fall; we are not there yet but we are absolutely moving in the right direction. So, let’s stick to the plan and build a better, brighter future together,” he said.
Under the new package of measures, the UK government will fully fund apprenticeships in small businesses from April 1 by paying the full cost of training for anyone up to the age of 21 – reducing costs for businesses and delivering more opportunities for young people to kick start careers.
The move is underpinned by an additional GBP 60 million of new government funding for next year to support apprenticeships and also cut red tape.