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Responding to the statistics released this morning showing that unemployment has reached 4.5%, the highest level in over three years, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “Today's figures throw into stark and depressing relief the scale of the issues facing families and businesses and act as a reminder that the Chancellor must extend more help. “Liberal Democrats have warned that by prematurely ending the Furlough scheme, this Government is potentially leaving thousands to face ruin. “Responsibility sits squarely on the Chancellor’s shoulders. Instead of dismissing lost jobs as not viable, he should be working day and night to protect people's livelihoods. “Generations will judge whether this Government has taken every conceivable step to protect people’s’ livelihoods and futures, or tossed them on the unemployment pile marked non-viable.”

The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to extend furlough as new figures reveal growth in August was slower than the expansion seen in both June and July. Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: “These figures make it clear that despite the massive effort people have made to fight this virus and its economic implications, the road to recovery is going to be rockier than we feared. “The Chancellor has to recognise that people, businesses and the economy need more support than he is currently offering. Furlough has to be extended until next June and broadened to support everyone. “It’s not good enough for the Chancellor to say dismissively that he can’t protect every job, because frankly it’s his job to try to do exactly that and make…