Many of us will no doubt want to forget the disaster that was 2020, but thanks to the UK Government, we’re once again reminded of the daily briefings and policy announcements with a brand new mini-documentary about “the story of furlough”.
Posted by Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, on Monday afternoon, the five-minute video takes us back to 16 March, when Boris Johnson told us all that we “must stay at home” to protect the NHS and save lives.
With such a decision having an impact on businesses and employees, the video then cuts to civil servants in the Treasury and HMRC who worked on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which saw the government pay 80 per cent of people’s salaries to keep them on a company’s payroll rather than being dismissed.
“Right at the beginning, all the decisions were difficult. Should it be 80 per cent? Should it be 70 per cent? Should workers only get 50 per cent? Should they get 100 per cent?
When we said we’d do whatever it takes, we meant it.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 27, 2021
This is the story of Furlough👇 pic.twitter.com/dDwJK0iBz5
“Someone said, ‘we need a better name, no one knows what furlough is’, and I remember in the meeting saying, ‘oh, they will’,” said Tim, one civil servant from the Treasury.
Employers also chipped in with praise for the scheme, too, with Rebecca Passmore, managing director at PureGym, describing it as a “saviour to jobs”.
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“It enabled me as an MD to go into Covid, and come out intact with the same team,” she said.
The video then concludes with text saying the furlough scheme opened for applications “just one month after it was announced”, with claims for “more than one million jobs” made on day one.
“It has so far protected over 11 million jobs, at its peak, 30 per cent of the eligible population.
“Our plan for jobs will continue by giving people the skills and opportunities they need to succeed,” it concludes.
However, despite the upbeat soundtrack and positive comments in the video, Twitter users aren’t convinced by the new film:
Wonder how much of our money Little Rishi pays his videographer? https://t.co/c0yFTpj7dI
— Dan O'Hagan (@danohagan) September 27, 2021
You shut me down with nothing you piece of sh1t because I had the temerity to become self employed the year before Covid hit.
— L See Eff (@TheReturnOfLCF) September 27, 2021
Don't you DARE.
Don't you DARE. https://t.co/LSgcMz8X4U
Love how cupcake making is always used (by banks, governments, payment schemes, etc.) as code for "small business". https://t.co/MBLgan9h5B
— Neil Simpson (@Neilsimeh2) September 27, 2021
I'm not entirely sure why the government has elected to make a five minute film about furlough, but that @SpitfireAudio Solo Cello doesn't half sound good at 0.16. https://t.co/WHPfGMbRij
— David Kernohan (@dkernohan) September 27, 2021
I lost my job!! Furlough blah blah blah!
— Ginnie Edwards 💙 👏🏼 (@ginnie_edwards) September 27, 2021
The story of Eat Out to Catch Covid is more interesting viz winter 20/21 surge methinks.
— Mat (@_Hydrofish) September 27, 2021
Saved jobs? Or just prolonged some jobs whilst the rest were left out of any financial support?
— HE_280 (@HE_280) September 27, 2021
Not for me or 3m like me unfortunately and I meant it when I said I don’t forget !
— Larry Duffy (@larryduff) September 27, 2021
We won't forget what you did to us, Rishi. #Newstarterfurlough
— Simon 🇬🇧 (@Honest_Sy1) September 27, 2021
Like leaving millions of self-employed people to fend off for themselves.
— Secretary of State for Socially Uncaring Health (@HUncaring) September 27, 2021
Great, unless you were one of the 3.8m who were #Excluded. You didn't do 'whatever it takes' - we were completely abandoned because our affairs were 'too complicated'. So stop telling us how wonderful you've been @RishiSunak and do something to put it right. Now would be good
— Jane Leigh #FBPE #FBPA (@janeleig) September 27, 2021
But leave out 3m #ExcludedUK business owners ? That certainly is NOT doing “whatever it takes”.
— Alex Banks (@banky21) September 27, 2021
Absolute cringe.
— Chris (@CBOAFC) September 27, 2021
It isn’t the first time the government have whipped out the fancy editing, either, as the 10 Downing Street Twitter account released a 35-minute documentary on the vaccination programme, titled A Beacon of Hope.
That too was ridiculed by the general public upon release, by the way.
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