Sunak Defends Furlough Scheme, Crediting It with Preventing Mass Unemployment

Rishi Sunak, the former UK prime minister, has stated that the government's furlough scheme was not perfect but ultimately prevented mass unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme, which was implemented in March 2020, allowed businesses to claim up to 80% of their employees' wages, helping to keep millions of people in work. In a recent appearance before the public inquiry into the pandemic, Sunak acknowledged that the government could not save every job, but said it was successful in preventing mass unemployment. "It wasn't going to be possible to save every person's job," he said. "But we were successful in preventing mass unemployment, and the impact of the pandemic on employment was considerably better than what anyone had forecast at the early stages of the pandemic." The furlough scheme was a key part of the government's response to the pandemic, and it was widely credited with helping to mitigate the economic impact of lockdowns and other restrictions. However, some critics have argued that the scheme was overly generous and created a culture of dependency among some businesses. Sunak acknowledged that there was no playbook for dealing with the economic shock caused by COVID-19, and that ministers were forced to respond to a crisis that was unprecedented in modern times. "There was not a toolkit, there was not a playbook," he said. "We were dealing with something no one had dealt with before." The public inquiry into the pandemic is examining the government's response to the crisis, including the furlough scheme and other economic measures. The inquiry is expected to report its findings in the coming months. The furlough scheme was introduced in March 2020, when the UK was in the early stages of the pandemic. At the time, the government was facing enormous uncertainty, with policymakers and experts unsure of the scale and duration of the virus and how the population would respond to any measures imposed by the government. The scheme was initially intended to last for three months, but it was extended several times as the pandemic dragged on. In total, the scheme cost the government around £70 billion, and it helped to support millions of workers and businesses. The impact of the pandemic on employment was significant, with millions of people losing their jobs or seeing their hours reduced. However, the furlough scheme helped to mitigate this impact, and the UK's unemployment rate remained relatively low compared to other countries. The public inquiry into the pandemic is expected to examine the effectiveness of the furlough scheme and other economic measures, and to make recommendations for future crises. The inquiry is also expected to examine the government's response to the pandemic, including its handling of the virus and its impact on public health. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Treasury said that the furlough scheme was a key part of the government's response to the pandemic, and that it helped to support millions of workers and businesses. "The furlough scheme was a vital lifeline for businesses and workers during the pandemic," the spokesperson said. "It helped to prevent mass unemployment and supported millions of people in work."