Rishi Sunak belatedly did the right thing by extending the furlough to March.
When people’s livelihoods are on the line through no fault of their own the state should be there to help them.
Yet thousands more jobs could have been saved if he had acted earlier.
The additional help comes too late to save workers made redundant when his original furlough scheme was wound down in October.
France and Germany have put in place support schemes that will last up to 24 months.
This has given businesses confidence and reduced the number of redundancies.
By contrast, our Government has tinkered with a series of measures – yesterday’s was the fourth announcement by the Chancellor in six weeks – that have failed to provide the necessary assurance or keep people in work.
The bravado from Mr Sunak yesterday was especially galling when just two weeks ago he had rejected a call by regional leaders for additional support for Tier 3 areas.
If he recognises the need to help now, why not then?
The Chancellor prides himself on his presentation skills, but no amount of slick spin can hide the fact this was a huge U-turn by a politician who has blundered.
Visiting crime
When Covid first struck the Government failed to protect people in care homes.
Everyone accepts that keeping residents safe should be a priority. But it is also important that families are still able to visit loved ones.
Guidance requires floor-to-ceiling screens for indoor visits or outdoor “window” visits.
This is not only impractical for many care homes but fails to recognise the specific needs of people with conditions such as dementia.
A way must be found so families do not have to go through the agony of being barred from being with their loved ones.
Spoils of Wars
A couple sold their collection of Star Wars toys for more than £400,000.
They’ll be thanking their lucky stars.
