THE LEADER of the SNP in Westminster has demanded the UK Government extend furlough measures or risk thousands of job losses across Scotland.

Ian Blackford said Scots did not need a hug from Boris Johnson, but instead needed certainty over their livelihoods. 

He said: "One million jobs at risk if furlough ends early, £30bn a year bill to the taxpayer from a no-deal Brexit....If those numbers become a reality, the Prime Minister will be leading us into another winter of discontent." 

He added that the "responsibility and powers" for extending the furlough scheme: "Must announce an immediate extension, no half-measures, no half-baked projects...and save the jobs." 

In response the Prime Minister said he had vowed to "put our arms" around businesses and workers across the country, and would come up with "creative and imaginative" schemes to help businesses.

Mr Blackford responded: "The last thing Scots are looking for is a hug from you.

"They need the security of knowing that they can hold on to their jobs and incomes for themselves and their families. Time is running out.

"Today, the government must instruct the Chancellor to extend the furlough scheme and stop 1 million workers, been sold to the scrap heap by this government." 

A number of MPs used their opportunity to question Mr Johnson to raise the same concerns about the furlough scheme ending in a months' time.

Labour MP Grahame Morris added: "Metaphorically you promised to put your arms around the British people, and support jobs and the economy. The CBI, businesses and unions, employers and workers, and even the Bank of England, are united in a call for an expansion of a targeted scheme. "

He warned of a "tsunami" of job losses and urged the PM to listen to those urging an extension.

Sir Keir Starmer instead took the Government to task over their performance with testing, and said Boris Johnson was "out of touch" with the public over the problems they are having with getting tests for coronavirus. He said that while children returning to school was a "good thing", he added: " Kids get coughs, bugs, flu. That's what happens, it's in the job description. But there's no effective system in place to deal with it."

He explained: " Many can't get tests quickly, schools are allocated only 10 tests. Many wait days for results. The outcome is obvious. Child and siblings off school. Mum, Dad or carer off work, and in some cases, all year groups off school. How on earth did we get into this mess?"

The Prime Minister responded: " He only needs to read the advice from the four chief medical officers that there's an exceptionally small risk to children, primary and secondary school age, from this disease.  He knows that children have a significantly lower rate of infection."

Mr Johnson added: "We are doing our level best to get every child a test, who has symptoms. Further, thanks to the efforts of teachers in this country of parents and pupils 99.9% of our schools and our back."