Furlough extension alone won’t save businesses – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Dan Fell, Chief Executive, Doncaster Chamber.

THE extension of the furlough scheme will be welcomed by businesses that have been urging Government to provide longer-term clarity on the support available to them (The Yorkshire Post, November 6).

Meeting costs is, however, only part of the problem for businesses that urgently need to drive income also.

The extension of furlough must not make it a fait accompli that the UK is now in for a lengthy lockdown and every effort must be made nationally and locally to re-open 
economies, and to allow businesses to safely and profitably trade.

Finally, whilst some additional measure have been announced to support the self-employed, this could go further.

Similarly, an unresolved issue is the lack of support available to directors of limited companies, I would therefore urge the Chancellor to urgently produce a plan to help those businesspeople that, thus far, have not been eligible for support.

From: Henri Murison, Director, Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

THE furlough extension will 
be very welcome news for many as we go into a second national lockdown and should go a 
long way to protecting 
many thousands of viable jobs in the North, avoiding the impending cliff edge in a few weeks time.

However, just as critical will be a Northern Economic Recovery Plan to create more jobs and promote economic growth in 
the long-term, led by businesses and Metro Mayors here in the North.

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

WHY won’t people realise, when it comes to extending the furlough scheme, that the Chancellor has to try to keep the economy going and not spend too much of taxpayers’ money?

To accuse him of playing catch-up is to expect him to be able to predict the behaviour and spread of the virus as many refuse to follow the simple rules of face, hands and space.

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

PHYLLIS Capstick believes that scientists “are ruining just about everything” (The Yorkshire Post, November 4). Could I point out that the NHS is awash with those who, to varying degrees, have had their sense “educated out of them”? Thanks again to all of you.