Ilford North MP Wes Streeting has warned that more than 11,000 jobs are at risk in his constituency and is calling on the chancellor to deliver a "smart" furlough scheme as part of emergency action.

New analysis by the Labour Party estimates that 11,269 people living in Ilford North were still furloughed by their employer in early February.

In addition there are currently 5,070 people who are claiming out of work benefits.

The Treasury has said it has spent more than £280billion in response to the pandemic and will continue to invest in creating and protecting jobs.

Mr Streeting is calling on chancellor Rishi Sunak to immediately announce an extension to the furlough scheme, to remove uncertainty for businesses and workers.

In addition Labour is calling on the chancellor to immediately set the fourth grant of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) at 80per cent of pre-crisis profits.

It is also calling on the scheme to be opened up to the 200,000 people who only have a 2019/20 tax return.

Mr Streeting said: “We need urgent action to secure, recover and create jobs to help more than 5,000 people claiming out of work benefits and more than 11,000 people still on furlough in Ilford North. This must include a smarter furlough scheme, an overhaul of the failing Kickstart youth programme, and reform of the shambolic Green Homes Grant as part of wider action to Build it in Britain and support the creation of 400,000 new jobs.

“People can’t afford to wait for the chancellor to get his act together. They need emergency action today, not more dither and delay until the budget.”

A Treasury spokesperson commented: “This unprecedented pandemic has gone on far longer than any of us hoped, but we’ve taken significant action throughout to support jobs and livelihoods, spending over £280billion in response to the pandemic.

We’ve already extended our furlough scheme through to April so that people have certainty that help is in place.

“We will continue to invest in protecting and creating jobs through the remainder of the pandemic and through the recovery, and we will set out further details via the next stage of our Plan for Jobs at the upcoming budget.”