MP calls for aviation furlough to be extended to 2021 to save Fife jobs

Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP, Neale Hanvey, has renewed his pressure on the UK Government to extend the furlough scheme for the aviation sector until March 2021.

The politician has joined with a cross-party group of 100 parliamentarians, supported by the trade union Unite, to urge the Chancellor to help prevent a massive loss of jobs and skills.

The letter acknowledges that the aviation sector will not be in a position to make a recovery until at least 2021 and says: “Furloughing workers and smoothing a possible unemployment spike is potentially more economically viable and certainly more sustainable than government expenditure on benefits”.

Mr Hanvey said the jobs of many of his constituents were linked to Edinburgh Airport.

He said extending the furlough scheme “would also ensure that the skills and the infrastructure that the industry requires to return to capacity are retained”.

In June, Mr Hanvey wrote to the Chancellor to highlight the “exceptional circumstances” facing aviation and warned that “cutting off support before aviation has been able to recover will have disastrous consequences for Fife”.

A member of the cross-party Future of Aviation Group, Mr Hanvey said: “Lots of folk in my constituency are employed in aviation.

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“It’s crucial for the local area that the UK Government doesn’t just cut them loose at the end of October when furlough is due to be wound down.

“Clearly some sectors will have a slower recovery than the rest of the economy. That’s why my constituents who work in aviation need continued support until early 2021 as a minimum.

“All along my message to the Chancellor has been clear – you must act to protect people’s livelihoods.

“But now it’s not just me and a handful of other MPs making this case. The new letter is signed by 100 parliamentarians and backed by one of the largest trade unions on these islands.

“The UK Government must come up with a better plan to safeguard connectivity, protect jobs and secure skills for the aviation sector. To remove support, with no back-up in place, is simply not an option.”

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