Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East, is concerned by new figures which show that 4,892 jobs in the constituency are at risk if the UK Government doesn’t implement a new ‘smart’ furlough scheme.
It has been over half a year since the Chancellor announced his so-called ‘Plan for Jobs’, since then the number of people claiming unemployment benefits has reached 3,445 and the number furloughed stands at 4,892 in Swansea East alone.
The Chancellor initially implemented a cookie-cutter approach to providing people support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in his Plan for Jobs last July. But after months of last-minute changes and dithering this policy is due to expire at the end of April 2021.
This is a problem that extends to the Self-Employed as well. New figures show that 1,800 people in the constituency had made claims under the Coronavirus Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) by the end of July.
Carolyn has joined Labour colleagues in calling on the Chancellor to set the fourth grant of the SEISS at 80% of pre-crisis profits – and to do it now, not at the Budget.
Carolyn Harris, MP for Swansea East, said:
“The continued inaction by the UK Government is causing a huge amount of anxiety in Swansea East. When I go out in the constituency delivering Wednesday lunch bags or Sunday roasts to those most in need, I see time and time again that people are struggling because the UK Government is dithering.
“The new figures showing that 4,892 jobs in Swansea East are at risk if a new ‘smart’ furlough scheme isn’t introduced is heart-breaking. The people of Swansea are fabulously hard working and all we want is a decent level of support from the UK Government during this crisis.
“People can’t afford to wait for the Chancellor to get his act together. The Welsh Labour Government is working tirelessly to fill the gaps being left by the UK Government, but the lack of support is undermining our ability to tackle Covid-19. We need action now, not in months’ time when it may be too late.”
