One in four UK firms plan to fire staff if furlough ends soon

UK Fin Min Rishi Sunak

LONDON: A quarter of British businesses expect to fire staff if finance minister Rishi Sunak (pic) does not extend a job furlough programme that is due to expire at the end of April, the British Chambers of Commerce said on Thursday.

Sunak is due to deliver his annual budget on March 3 and has promised to provide more support for jobs hit by the coronavirus pandemic. But he is also mindful that COVID-related spending has already pushed Britain's budget deficit to its highest since World War Two.