Na h-Eileanan an Iar SNP MSP Alasdair Allan has said the Tory government must perform an urgent U-turn over its reckless decision to withdraw support for jobs with the closure of the furlough scheme next month.

It comes as a new survey revealed four in ten (42%) small and medium businesses think they will have a smaller workforce in December than they did in September, and a quarter think they might go out of business next year if there is a second wave of Covid-19.

3000 people in the Western Isles have accessed the furlough scheme since the pandemic began.

Commenting, Alasdair Allan said:

"I am really concerned about the potentially devastating impact of the UK government's decision to withdraw support for jobs in the middle of a pandemic.

“Analysis from HIE just a few weeks ago showed that 26% of the Western Isles’ workforce are in at risk jobs. With infection rates rising and outbreaks happening locally, this simply is not the time to be cutting support.

"Boris Johnson was repeatedly warned that thousands of people could lose their jobs unnecessarily as a result of Tory cuts, and we can see across the country that those warnings are now starting to become reality.

"The Tory government must perform an urgent U-turn, reinstate a full job protection scheme, and devolve financial powers to the Scottish Parliament so we can protect our economy.”