Tory plan’s fatal flaw

THE Government’s fresh package of measures to suppress the virus contains the fatal flaw that people suddenly losing their incomes are not fairly compensated.

Reasonable people accept sacrifices must be made to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

But in the tension between lives and livelihoods, there will be those forced to gamble with their health to pay their bills.

To give Britain a chance of bouncing back when this nightmare is over, we must put parts of the economy into hibernation, not kill them. And that requires decent support. Instead, this parsimonious Tory Government expects workers currently on the £8.72 minimum wage to survive on a third less.

Letting unemployment rip, incomes plummet and otherwise viable businesses go to the wall isn’t just incompetence.

It is political and economic criminality.