Sunak gives £30bn to tackle outbreak in optimistic British budget

LONDON: As coronovirus-related deaths and cases mount in the UK, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a package of measures worth £30 billion to tackle the crisis, insisting that just like Brexit, the Boris Johnson government “gets things done”.

The budget speech telecast live from the House of Commons to millions presented a rare visual: behind Sunak sat Johnson, flanked by home secretary Priti Patel and attorney-general Suella Fernandes, reflecting a new high in multicultural Britain.

Opening the speech with measures to deal with the virus, Sunak said, “I know how worried people are... what everyone needs to know is we are doing everything we can to keep this country and our people healthy and financially secure. This is an issue above party.”

Earlier in the day, a government spokesperson said the UK parliament had no plans to shut, after a minister tested positive for the virus.

Health minister Nadine Dorries said she tested positive for the coronavirus and was self-isolating. An opposition lawmaker who met Dorries was also advised to isolate herself.

Lawmakers have expressed concern that the ageing parliamentary estate is ill-equipped to deal with an outbreak of the virus, and that lawmakers pose a higher risk because they travel a lot and meet people.

At Wednesday’s budget announcement, Sunak abolished the ‘tampon tax’ on women’s sanitary products and allocated billions of pounds to infrastructure and various sectors, indicating the end of a decade-long austerity drive initiated by the David Cameron-led coalition government in 2010.

Also, besides incentives to the high export revenue earning Scotch whisky industry, Sunak’s populist announcements included cancelling a planned rise in beer duty and freezing duties for cider and wine. Business rate discount for pubs this year will be £5,000, up from £1,000.