There is no way that the economy can pick up where it left off in March 2020 or that employers will be able to resume what they were doing in March 2020.

There will be many businesses that will not be able to resume where they were in March 2020 because their capital will have been lost in the meantime.

There are calls for the Chancellor to extend furlough into the summer, but without further targeted support for businesses that have a strategy to thrive in the future, furlough will be of little consequence and will simply continue to support those employees who are already furloughed as though they are a special case amongst those deserving of help.

A substantial number of director-owned companies and self-employed businesses – that have received no government support at all - have already gone to the wall.

Support needs to be based upon an industrial and economic strategy that recognises the fundamental shift that has taken place in the business landscape and delivers an economy that is fit for purpose in the future. This means a workforce well-trained in a host of new skills, and sustainable businesses.

We are not in Kansas anymore. Simply demanding more furlough is not enough: we need an industrial strategy for the post-Coronavirus era.

Noel Guilford