Today the Government is reducing its furlough support to hundreds, if not thousands, of residents in Harrogate & Knaresborough.
Local Liberal Democrats have warned that this will put a greater burden on struggling businesses and have said that this adds to residents’ already very real worries of how they will make ends meet.
Andrew Jones MP last week dismissed these concerns as ‘alarmist’, but Parliamentary Spokesperson Judith Rogerson has hit back saying:
Our hospitality and retail sectors are under enormous pressure locally; reducing the support given by the furlough scheme will only force businesses to meet yet another significant cost.
The furlough scheme is the only thing keeping many families across Harrogate & Knaresborough afloat, so it is completely understandable that people are hugely concerned how they will make ends meet if the Government brings this support to an end before the pandemic is over. It is simply out of touch for Andrew Jones to claim that this is ‘alarmist’.
At this time of immense stress and disruption, people need as much certainty as they can get if they are to get back on their feet. We need our MP to recognise this and be doing all he can to get residents the support they need.
Almost 16,000 people in Harrogate & Knaresborough have benefited from the Job Retention Scheme, and a further 400 from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, following a successful campaign by the Liberal Democrats.
Other countries have extended their furlough schemes for much longer, giving businesses and people the support to rely on it less, but the certainty to know it is there if necessary. Germany has extended its scheme for 24 months.
