Call to open economy ‘as quick as possible’

‘Possible next steps we could take’ to be outlined

SUMMER’S EARLY: People out for their daily exercise near Windsor Castle yesterday. Above, a police officer advises people on the beach in Brighton that they should move further apart while in Dublin Patrick McGowan thanks police for dropping off his medication.

THE GOVERNMENT should open up the economy “as far and as quick” as possible to recover from the economic impact of coronavirus, former Chancellor Sajid Javid has said.

Mr Javid, who left his post in Boris Johnson’s government in February, said scientific advice needed to be acted upon, but the best course of action was “running the economy hot”.

Official data suggests more than 36,000 people have died with coronavirus in the UK while the number of cases has topped 200,000.

It follows warnings from the Bank of England that Covid-19 could lead to the economy plunging 14 per cent this year in the worst annual fall since records began.

In his first interview since quitting, Mr Javid said the Government was right to put the public health first but this had led to economic issues and a balance needed to be struck.

“We’re going to have to co-exist with this virus for many months, if not potentially years. But we’ve got to find a way forward and that does mean you’re relaxing, as much as you can,” he said.

“Running the economy hot you could say, in a way that you are trying to take into account, not just the sort of necessity to control the virus, but also the wider impact on society.”

Mr Javid suggested different groups may have to abide by different regulations until a vaccine was found.

He said: “We’re learning all the time but we shouldn’t rule out an option that focuses on protecting the most vulnerable but gives more freedom to others.”