Paul Clancy, CEO, Derry Chamber
Reacting to the Chancellor’s announcement that the furlough scheme has been extended until the end of March 2021, Londonderry Chamber Chief Executive Paul Clancy said:
“It’s a massive relief that the Chancellor has extended the furlough scheme until the end of March 2021. This provides certainty for businesses, workers, and families across the North West at a time of concern and anxiety for thousands of households. It is a common sense decision which will give families one less thing to worry about over the Christmas period and will hopefully go some way to protecting jobs and livelihoods.
“The Chancellor, however, must confirm that he is open to extending the scheme again next year if businesses are still under the same pressure. There’s no point in keeping the scheme open now for businesses and workers to face a cliff edge again at the end of March. Businesses must also be involved in the development of a strategy to live with the virus. Going in and out of lockdown is the last thing any business owner wants and it’s time to find a way to deal more effectively with Covid-19 that doesn’t involve shutting doors and wrecking consumer confidence.”