Drew Hendry – SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey – fears more redundancies in Highlands when Westminster ends furlough scheme

Local MP Drew Hendry has warned the Chancellor against withdrawing support for jobs and businesses – as new analysis shows 2500 jobs in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey are at risk from plans to terminate the furlough scheme at the end of this month.

Analysis from the House of Commons Library, using the latest HMRC data, has revealed that 116,500 jobs remain furloughed in Scotland at the last count – of those, 2500 jobs remain furloughed in Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.

The analysis shows the number of furloughed jobs in Scotland fell by around 20 per cent between the end of May and the end of June, and a further 20 per cent between the end of June and the end of July.

Across the Highland local authority area, a total of 5100 jobs remain furloughed.

Mr Hendry – SNP representative for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey – said: "The Chancellor needs to deliver financial support for hard-hit businesses and sectors by extending the furlough scheme.

"My SNP colleagues and I have been urging him to extend the scheme for months, and the situation is getting extremely concerning. His continued complacency on jobs could result in rising redundancies in our region.

"With rising inflation, shortages of goods and the risks of Covid this winter, the UK economy is already extremely fragile."

Related article: MP Drew Hendry joins Citizens Advice and Highland Foodbank in stark warning on how a cut to Universal Credit will plunge families into debt and poverty

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.