PM pledges help for self-employed

Boris Johnson has promised the UK’s five million self-employed workers support during the coronavirus crisis.

The PM said the Treasury would be unveiling “a package of measures” to support workers after widespread criticism that they had been left out of the economic rescue package.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, speaking in the Commons earlier yesterday, said the approach was “not good enough”.

“The economic costs of this virus are deepening by the day, people are losing their incomes, telling them to wait another day, simply isn’t good enough”, he said.

Mr Johnson said: “The government has moved with extraordinary speed to support and prop-up the whole of the economy, putting our arms around workers of all kinds to the best extent that we possibly can.

“It was easier to move furthest and fastest with employees because their PAYE details are available, it’s been more complex to support the selfemployed because there are many different arrangements.

“It’s been tricky to work out a package that will address the needs of as many people as possible, but that is being done, it’s being done at incredible speed and Rishi Sunak will be announcing a package of measures tomorrow.”

The prime minister also revealed that more than 400,000 people in England and Wales had so far signed up to act as NHS volunteers.

The help is being targeted at the 1.5 million people with underlying health conditions who have been asked to shield themselves from the virus by staying at home for 12 weeks.

The Scottish Government is pointing people towards volunteering opportunities such as the Red Cross community reserves, but there is not currently a scheme specific to the Scottish NHS.

The UK’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, responding to questions over the lack of coronavirus testing, said there was a “global bottle neck” on buying more kits.

He said the government aims to be able to buy tests that would let NHS workers to go back to work if they test negative for coronavirus.”