Dan Norris has backed calls for the Chancellor to introduce a “smart” extension of the furlough scheme ahead of the April cliff edge.
The Chancellor initially planned a one-size-fits-all wind down of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme last July. After several last-minute changes over the autumn and winter, the scheme is now set to expire at the end of April.
With 49,000 people on furlough across the West of England, Dan Norris says that the Chancellor needs to ensure that he learns from his mistakes and has a realistic and thought through plan for the Spring.
Labour is calling for the Chancellor to immediately announce an extension to the furlough scheme alongside urgent reform to make it smarter, with new training to help furloughed workers improve their skills and tough conditions on employers to stop abuse.
Dan Norris said: “Securing jobs is my top priority. We need urgent action to secure and this must include a smarter furlough scheme. The last thing we want to see as the health situation improves is for the job situation to deteriorate even further.”