UNN’s Oliver Down has learnt that Michael Gove is now saying that the UK government will remain “open minded” about the possibility of extending the furlough scheme past its current expiry date in September.
This news comes against the backdrop of Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announcing that she is wanting to see the job retention scheme continue into the the autumn. A four-nation meeting with Boris Johnson is taking place today to discuss this possibility.
Mr Gove has said this morning: “We’ll be spending more. We’ll be spending more on the NHS, we will be spending more on education, we will be spending more on criminal justice, because in all of these areas it is absolutely vital that we build back better. Extra funding for everyone will continue, and it is important we all learn from each other about how that money should be spent”.
Ms Sturgeon has argued that a furlough scheme extension should happen. She has said: “We have done everything we can with the limited powers we have to tackle inequality and mitigate the impact the pandemic has had on people’s livelihoods, but we cannot allow that to be eroded as we enter the next phase of living with the virus. A return to the pre-pandemic austerity would be disastrous for jobs, for public services and for people and families across Scotland. As the UK Government hold the key financial levers to help us recover from this, I will be calling on it to commit to maintain public spending during the period of recovery, and to extend the furlough scheme for as long as it is needed to protect businesses and people who have been required to stop working to protect others, and I will be emphasising that it is managed sensitively in a way that supports longer-term recovery”.
UNN’s Oliver Down will bring you more on this story as we get it.
Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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