Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, wrote to Shapps on Wednesday morning (4 August) setting out the campaign’s demands after she was contacted by TTG acting news editor James Chapple.
McDonagh has requested the transport secretary provide a full response on behalf of the government.
She was among a cross-party group of more than 70 MPs who wrote to chancellor Rishi Sunak last month to call for an extension to the furlough scheme for businesses in the travel, tourism and aviation sectors.
Days later, the Treasury appeared to rule out more furlough support citing an "unprecedented package of measures" to support businesses, despite a petition signed by more than 16,000 people – enough to require a government response.
The #SaveTravelJobs campaign, though, is renewing this call for an extension of the furlough scheme until at least April next year, as well as for dedicated financial support for travel businesses – mirroring the objectives of the Abta-led Save Future Travel coalition.
TTG is also urging MPs to use their positions to publicly back the travel industry – especially travel agents – in a bid to help rebuild consumer confidence, which has been eroded by chaotic government travel policy and loose remarks by government ministers.
During a BBC interview on Tuesday, shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon criticised the government’s plans to wind the furlough scheme down at the end of September, and said that ministers needed to do "far more" to save travel jobs and ensure the sector didn’t face "a cliff edge" next month.
