The furlough scheme introduced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak must be extended.
It is one of the few positives this abject Government can take from a badly mishandled crisis.
In Scotland alone, more than 700,000 workers had been placed on furlough by the end of June.
If the job retention scheme comes to an end next month, almost half them face redundancy.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for the UK Government to extend support for as long as it is needed.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard described the prospect for those workers as a “cliff edge”.
Both are right to highlight what is at stake for families across the country and their calls should be heeded.
Continuing the scheme will stop businesses from going bust and protect livelihoods at a crucial time in the battle against Covid-19.
France and Germany have both extended their furlough schemes for up to two years, yet the UK Government still insists ours will end in seven weeks.
If they stick to their guns, the Tories will do untold damage to businesses and families. Extending the scheme will be costly but worth every penny.
If other countries can help workers in their hour of need, why can’t we?
