Anneliese Dodds has called on the Chancellor again to change course and save a jobs crisis. Dodds has called for extra targeted support for hard-hit sectors like tourism and hospitality, both of which employ more than seven thousand workers in Oxford East.
Her warning came as the Chartered Institute for Personnel Development issued findings from a survey which suggested that a third of firms were considering letting at least some of their employees go.
At the Summer Statement last month, Dodds called on the Chancellor to get the UK economy firing again with a proper Back to Work Budget to help workers and businesses hit hardest. She argued that his Summer Statement should have offered hope for the millions of British workers worried about their jobs – instead the Chancellor pulled the rug from under their feet.
The Shadow Chancellor amplified Labour’s calls for the government to get test, trace and isolate working properly – explaining that until then, people won’t feel confident to go out and our economy won’t recover.
Anneliese Dodds said:
“A month ago Chancellor Rishi Sunak had a chance to avoid a jobs crisis.
“I warned the Chancellor that withdrawing furlough in one fell swoop was a recipe for disaster. And I told him handing over billions in bonuses to firms who were going to bring back staff anyway wasn’t the way to save jobs.
“His one-size-fits-all withdrawal of income support is a historic mistake that British workers just can’t afford.
“Now the warning lights are flashing red on the economy. It’s not too late to change course – but time is running out.”