Groundhog Day for Rishi Sunak as Covid jobs crisis speeds up

Desperate to stave off mass unemployment, the chancellor has caved in and brought back furloughing
Jordan-Leigh Davies was furloughed from her pub job in Wales. She went back to work, but is now on furlough again
Jordan-Leigh Davies was furloughed from her pub job in Wales. She went back to work, but is now on furlough again
GARETH EVERETT

Jordan-Leigh Davies is relieved. A week ago, when Wales enforced its two-week national “circuit breaker” lockdown, the law student was put back on furlough as the local pub where she works was forced to close. “My hours were already reduced because of business needs,” said Davies, 21. “But I’m lucky. Without furlough, I wouldn’t get anything.”

Davies is among an estimated two million people who were still having part of their wages covered by Rishi Sunak’s job retention scheme when it was due to end last night. In a dramatic U-turn, the chancellor extended furlough for the duration of the new lockdown being imposed on England that will last until December 2.

Sunak was responding to demands from furious businesses leaders who were demanding an