THIS week’s announcement from Rishi Sunak about how the government would move on from the furlough scheme was too little, too late and it will not stop a jobs and living standards catastrophe on a scale many of us have never experienced before.

As John McDonnell tweeted on Thursday, “it’s clear from Sunak’s announcement today that the Tories are willing to countenance large numbers of job losses [and] clearly they believe it’s a price worth paying.”

As the former shadow chancellor also added: “This is archaic economics when a Marshall-style plan is needed from government to aim for a full employment economy.”

We then need to both fight for every job and put forward proposals to protect and create jobs.

In response to the government’s disastrous and continuing failure to put people and health first throughout the pandemic — which is now approaching a dangerous second wave — it is vital that we link up across labour and progressive movements, including within the Labour Party, to set a different policy agenda and build-up resistance to the Tories.

As part of this response, Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell, Apsana Begum, Richard Burgon, Ian Lavery, Kate Osborne, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Claudia Webbe have supported a People’s Plan circulated by the Labour Assembly Against Austerity and currently signed by over 9,000 Labour Party members.

With the Tories failing to take the action needed to defend jobs and livelihoods, this campaigning couldn’t be more timely or important.

It reads as below and we hope it provides a basis for unity, discussion and action across the movement:

A People’s Plan

The economic crisis we now face is set to be the worst any of us have experienced. We urgently need to transform our economy and society to ensure that people’s jobs, livelihoods and health come before private profit.

Defend living standards and jobs — invest in our future

The fight to prevent soaring unemployment is paramount. We need to build a movement that demands the government takes the action needed to create full-employment with well-paid secure jobs for all.

This will need massive, sustained investment in our infrastructure, in council housing, transport, public services, industry and beyond.

We must eradicate financial insecurity through a minimum earnings guarantee at a decent level, ensure Statutory Sick Pay at living wage levels, support for renters and build a social security system that is universal and not punitive.

The crisis has shown we need trade unions more than ever. Greater union rights and freedoms will help end the exploitative zero-hour and precarious contracts that dominate our economy, save jobs and give workers a proper say in their workplace.

Rebuilding to tackle the climate catastrophe and achieve social justice

We must rebuild in a way that tackles the existential threat of climate breakdown with ambitious, redistributive policies that put jobs, equality and improving people’s lives first. Research shows £85bn investment in green infrastructure could help create 1.24 million jobs in two years.

The state must urgently invest to create high-quality green jobs and technologies through a Green New Deal, providing a just, environmentally sustainable transition of our industries and infrastructure by safeguarding the employment of all.

Universal, publicly owned services

Our public services provided the vital support needed during the pandemic. But this crisis also sharply exposed how a decade of austerity and privatisation has left them at breaking point. We need to rebuild them to be the world class services our communities deserve creating hundreds of thousands of socially useful jobs at the same time. Only public ownership and universality will ensure access to our public services.

Our transport system should be integrated and upgraded, with the railways and buses publicly owned and education properly funded and free for all. NHS underfunding, staff shortages and privatisation must end. We urgently need a public, universal social care service.

Equality for all

This pandemic has shone a spotlight on the deep structural inequalities in our society. Now is the time for real change. The dismantling of systematic inequality and liberation for all must be at the heart of how we rebuild better.

The Black Lives Matter movement has rightly pushed the structural racism to the top of the political agenda. Real government action, not just words, is now needed.

Women and disabled people have already seen a rolling back of equality gains under the Tories and these risk being further undermined, while LGBT+ people face a reactionary government which is not afraid to use the tactics of divide and rule. We must demand an end to the scapegoating of disabled people on benefits.

You can add your name at bit.ly/planforthepeople.