Coronavirus: PM to rush emergency legislation through the Commons March 23, 2020 The Prime Minister is hoping to rush sweeping new coronavirus legislation through the House of Commons, as the country faces the prospect of a lockdown. MPs will return to the Commons today to debate the government’s emergency coronavirus bill, which was set out last week. Under the proposals, which would be time-limited for two years, [...]
DEBATE: Should government pay wages to workers affected by coronavirus? March 23, 2020 Should the government pay wages to workers whose incomes have been affected by the coronavirus crisis? YES – Sam Bowman, director of competition policy at the International Centre for Law & Economics. This is a very unusual recession. It is self-inflicted, and will hit highly productive and less productive businesses alike. To allow them to [...]
Heed Churchill’s words to the nation: Stand firm and carry on March 23, 2020 “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” These words, often attributed to Britain’s then wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, are emblematic of his call to never, never, never give up. Today, the world is living through a new hell, fighting a silent invader which moves remorselessly on, ripping through societies, undoing markets, and overturning seemingly [...]
Coronavirus: Government plots further support for self-employed March 22, 2020 The government is exploring ways to provide additional help to self-employed workers amid concerns millions of Brits have been “excluded” from financial support during the coronavirus crisis. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick today said the government was looking at ways to overcome technical challenges relating to supporting self-employed people. “It is more complicated for the self-employed [...]
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson officially announces quarantine of 1.5m people March 22, 2020 Quarantining 1.5m Britons vulnerable to coronavirus will do “more than any other single measure to save life”, according to Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister has officially unveiled the government’s latest measure to combat Covid-19 at today’s press conference, while also telling people to follow the government’s social distancing advice. The measures will force people over [...]
Coronavirus: What does the chancellor’s support mean for businesses and employees? March 22, 2020 The Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an unprecedented package of measures on Friday to support businesses and employers coping with the economic shock of coronavirus. What is available to companies and employees? How do they access this support? And where are the gaps in provision? Coronavirus business interruption loan scheme Focused on smaller businesses with a [...]
Sadiq Khan warns more Londoners ‘will die’ if people leave their homes March 22, 2020 Sadiq Khan has told Londoners that more people will die from coronavirus if they do not follow the government’s instructions and self-isolate. The capital has been the worst hit region in the UK by the spread of Covid-19, accounting for almost 40 per cent of the country’s 5,018 confirmed cases. Speaking to BBC today, Khan [...]
Sadiq Khan commemorates anniversary of Westminster terror attack March 22, 2020 Sadiq Khan has paid tribute to the victims of the 2017 Westminster terror attack on the day’s third anniversary. Four people were killed and 50 injured on 22 March 2017 when Khalid Masood drove a truck into pedestrians on Wesminster Bridge. He went on to crash the vehicle into a fence outside parliament and stabbed [...]
Millions of coronavirus antibody tests expected to arrive in weeks March 22, 2020 Millions of tests that can detect if someone has ever had coronavirus will arrive in the UK in the coming weeks, according to the housing and communities secretary. The antibody tests, which have been described by Boris Johnson as a “gamechanger, could allow people to return to their everyday lives. The test can see if [...]
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson tells 1.5m Britons to isolate for 12 weeks March 22, 2020 An estimated 1.5m Britons have been sent letters by the government telling them to not go outside for the next 12 weeks to protect themselves from coronavirus. Boris Johnson personally addressed the letters to those most at risk of dying from Covid-19, including over-70s, pregnant women and people with one of more than a dozen [...]