Coronavirus: Labour calls on advertising and PR industries to step up and fight panic-buying

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Shadow ministers accused the government of failing to act fast enough to stop supermarket shelves being stripped bare - leaving health workers unable to buy supplies - and said it was time for advertising professionals to step up to help persuade people to observe social distancing rules. We need people to shop sensibly and that is why Labour has been calling for a new national advertising campaign from the government. We need people to do the right thing at this time of national crisis: shop sensibly, stay at home and slow the spread of the virus.” And shadow culture secretary Tracy Brabin added: “Britain has the very finest creative sector in the world. While our frontline staff help those with Covid-19, we need Britain’s creatives to help the national effort and discourage panic-buying and encourage people to stay at home.” Labour urged advertisers to divert budgets to supporting coronavirus messages, and called on creative workers to share their designs, freely and without copyright but with attribution on social media.