BORIS BATTLE PLAN TO SAVE 3M JOBS
Steps to get Britain moving as death toll falls below 100
BORIS Johnson will today fire the starting gun to get the economy up and running again before 3.5million jobs are lost forever.
The Prime Minister will tell his team to find ways to lift the lockdown by mid-summer and keep at-risk workers, especially those in the hospitality sector, in employment. Building new hospitals is also at the forefront of his recovery plan. He issued his diktat as the number of coronavirus deaths in Britain dipped to 77, the
lowest since March 23. Scotland reported no new deaths – the first time since March 20 – as did Northern Ireland following days of announcing one or two deaths.
The falling fatality rate, coupled with a lower number of infections and the coronavirus R rate remaining below one nationally, has given Mr Johnson a platform to plan his great British recovery.
A senior source said: “Boris wants us back to normal, or as near to it as possible, before the middle of summer.”
The ambitious blueprint will be set out in a major speech expected this month and will sit alongside a mini-Budget pencilled in for July.
It is thought to include tax cuts to fuel consumer spending and business investment.
Taskforce
Proposals to be unveiled as early as this week include relaxing planning rules to allow pubs, restaurants and cafes to use their outside spaces for sales.
Last week the Prime Minister was warned that failure to open up the hospitality sector could cost 3.5million jobs.
There will also be measures announced in the next few days to allow hairdressers to open before July and for driving instructors to start work again.
Plans to fulfil manifesto pledges of 40 new hospitals and major upgrades to the country’s roads will be accelerated.
And Mr Johnson has asked Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to secure “travel corridor” deals with other countries to boost the tourism industry by June 28.
From today Business Secretary Alok Sharma will spearhead the recovery for businesses with a new taskforce that will focus on five key areas.
These are bolstering innovation as well as investment in research and development, finding greener, more eco-friendly ways to do business, levelling up economic performance across the UK and attracting more high-value investment for the country.
Mr Sharma said the taskforce will help “support our economic bounce-back. This will undoubtedly lead to a cleaner, greener, more resilient economy which will create new jobs”. The optimistic outlook follows warnings that the amount of people out of work could soon exceed 10 per cent if Britain doesn’t find a way out of the lockdown.
Mr Johnson – who yesterday tweeted a message to remind people to stay outside, with umbrellas, if they are meeting others – is expected to update the Cabinet tomorrow on his plans.
If Covid-19 transmission rates remain low, he is understood to favour temporarily relaxing Sunday trading laws to help boost the economy and allow more time for key workers to shop. Places of worship could be reopened for private prayer next Monday, the same day that many non-essential shops are starting up again.
Mr Johnson’s shake-up could also include major reforms to the planning system. Ministers believe new housing, roads and broadband will be central to the recovery.
Plans to create a network of “freeports”, where normal tax and customs rules do not apply, are also set to be fast-tracked.
Meanwhile Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering a holiday on National Insurance payments by employers to boost jobs and stimulate investment. He is also said to be keen to temporarily lower VAT and stamp duty despite the lockdown likely leading to a record deficit of £300billion this year.
Also among Mr Sunak’s ideas is a £1.5billion car scrappage scheme to encourage motorists to buy new vehicles.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, welcomed the plans.
He said: “Taxpayers and businesses experiencing severe economic uncertainty will be heartened to hear that a recovery plan looks set to focus on tax cuts and
deregulation. It’s vital that the Government allows the economy to restart, and trying to tax our way out of trouble would be a form of madness.
“Hard-pressed families need to see light at the end of the tunnel – and a proper plan for jobs and growth will provide hope.”
Meanwhile Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the travel trade association ABTA, asked the Government to bring forward a plan for restarting international tourism and business trips.
In a letter to the Home Secretary, he reiterated the serious impact that quarantining restrictions will have on customer demand and highlighted the knock-on impact they will have on the wider UK economy.
From today, all people arriving in the UK, including returning British residents, have to selfisolate for 14 days.
They must also fill in a form with their contact details and travel information so they can be reached if they, or someone they have been in contact with, develops coronavirus.
ABTA, which wants an end to this practice, is also calling for the Government to urgently investigate travel corridors to establish transport links with countries that have a low infection risk.
Mr Tanzer said: “We must restart international travel as soon as it is safe to do so, and businesses and customers will benefit from the Government outlining when this is likely to happen.
“There are many livelihoods at stake, and bookings will only start to pick-up in earnest when people have a better idea what the plan is to open up the UK.”