skynewspolitics--2020-03-10--£2.5bn drive to repair 50 million potholes will be unveiled in budget

A £2.5bn drive to repair 50 million potholes over the next five years will be announced in Wednesday 's budget .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will try to make good on the government 's promise to `` level up '' the country by targeting the cash in the South West , East and North West of England .
He will also pledge hundreds of billions of pounds on improving road , rail and other infrastructure projects .
The measures will come in Mr Sunak 's first budget - less than a month since he became a cabinet minister after his predecessor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lay out the government 's tax and spend plans for 2020 , but planned policies may have to be put on hold because of the coronavirus outbreak .
A staple of these events - tackling potholes - has been promised ahead of the speech .
The Treasury says action is needed to improve infrastructure and deal with a situation where 90 % of insurance claims are related to pothole damage .
Injury-causing crashes involving potholes are three times more likely to impact a cyclist or biker , it is claimed .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunity if we are spending our journeys dodging potholes and forking out for the damage they cause , '' Mr Sunak said ahead of the speech .
`` It 's vital we keep roads in good condition .
That 's why we are going to eradicate the scourge of potholes in every part of the country . ''
Labour has branded the move a gimmick , which it claims is simply a new take on an old policy .
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said : `` This rehash of Theresa May 's pothole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Tories trying to patch up problems they have created without getting a grip on the underlying state of infrastructure in this country . ''
He accused the Tories of `` repeating their mistake of the last 10 years '' by launching a `` gimmicky grab-bag of projects '' instead of a national infrastructure strategy .
David Renard , a Conservative councillor and head of the Local Government Association , said he was `` pleased '' with the pothole funding boost but called for councils to get devolved infrastructure and public transport budgets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a boost with the announcement that capital spending will increase from £500bn to £600bn in the next five years .
And the Treasury claims it 's going to triple average net investment seen over the last 40 years - taking it from £22.1bn to £66.2bn .
Sky News economics editor Ed Conway has said `` a far better way of comparing these numbers over time is as a percentage of gross domestic product '' - the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year .
He added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % ( actually just under ) of 2020 's GDP .
`` How does that compare over time ?
Well actually it is still a considerably lower level of net investment than almost all of the 50s , 60s and 70s . ''
No new announcements about the COVID-19 outbreak have been made ahead of the budget , but Sky News understands it has been reshaped to address the immediate economic impacts the emerging global pandemic will have on the economy .

A £2.5bn drive to repair 50 million potholes over the next five years will be announced in Wednesday's budget.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will try to make good on the government's promise to "level up" the country by targeting the cash in the South West, East and North West of England.
He will also pledge hundreds of billions of pounds on improving road, rail and other infrastructure projects.
The measures will come in Mr Sunak's first budget - less than a month since he became a cabinet minister after his predecessor Sajid Javid sensationally resigned.
He will lay out the government's tax and spend plans for 2020, but planned policies may have to be put on hold because of the coronavirus outbreak.
A staple of these events - tackling potholes - has been promised ahead of the speech.
The Treasury says action is needed to improve infrastructure and deal with a situation where 90% of insurance claims are related to pothole damage.
Injury-causing crashes involving potholes are three times more likely to impact a cyclist or biker, it is claimed.
"We can't level up Britain and spread opportunity if we are spending our journeys dodging potholes and forking out for the damage they cause," Mr Sunak said ahead of the speech.
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"It's vital we keep roads in good condition. That's why we are going to eradicate the scourge of potholes in every part of the country."
Image: The chancellor is less than a month into the job
Labour has branded the move a gimmick, which it claims is simply a new take on an old policy.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: "This rehash of Theresa May's pothole fund is another policy announcement that shows the Tories trying to patch up problems they have created without getting a grip on the underlying state of infrastructure in this country."
He accused the Tories of "repeating their mistake of the last 10 years" by launching a "gimmicky grab-bag of projects" instead of a national infrastructure strategy.
David Renard, a Conservative councillor and head of the Local Government Association, said he was "pleased" with the pothole funding boost but called for councils to get devolved infrastructure and public transport budgets.
Image: It is the new government's first budget
Bigger infrastructure projects will also get a boost with the announcement that capital spending will increase from £500bn to £600bn in the next five years.
And the Treasury claims it's going to triple average net investment seen over the last 40 years - taking it from £22.1bn to £66.2bn.
Sky News economics editor Ed Conway has said "a far better way of comparing these numbers over time is as a percentage of gross domestic product" - the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.
He added: "£66.2bn would be about 3% (actually just under) of 2020's GDP.
"How does that compare over time? Well actually it is still a considerably lower level of net investment than almost all of the 50s, 60s and 70s."
No new announcements about the COVID-19 outbreak have been made ahead of the budget, but Sky News understands it has been reshaped to address the immediate economic impacts the emerging global pandemic will have on the economy.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-10--Fuel tax, national insurance and pensions: What should we expect from tomorrow's budget?

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will reveal his first budget on Wednesday after just 27 days in the job .
But what is he expected to announce ?
And what else should you be looking out for ?
The global coronavirus outbreak , which has seen stock markets crash and countries such as Italy place their entire population into quarantine , has naturally dominated the build-up to the budget .
The chancellor has promised to `` give the NHS whatever it needs '' in response to COVID-19 , while he is also expected to set out measures to support affected businesses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a change to rules on sick pay , but Mr Sunak is under pressure to go further and help low earners and those who are self-employed .
The coronavirus crisis came shortly after many parts of the UK were struck by severe flooding , leading to criticism of the prime minister 's response .
Mr Sunak will use the budget to announce a doubling of spending on flood defences - an increase from £2.6bn to £5.2bn between 2015 and 2021 .
The chancellor will reportedly raise the employment allowance from £3,000 to £4,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay employer national insurance contributions on the first £4,000 of their annual bill .
The action for small businesses was promised in the Conservative manifesto before the general election .
The Federation of Small Businesses has welcomed the move at a time when firms will face an increase in the minimum wage from next month .
A big gesture as part of the government 's `` leveling up '' commitment will be what the Treasury is calling `` historic levels of investment '' in roads , railways and housing .
Mr Sunak will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure investment in the next five years .
Another change on national insurance will see firms who employ military veterans pay no national insurance contributions for the first year of their work .
Mr Sunak will seek to fulfil a further Conservative manifesto promise by confirming a £5bn investment to roll out faster broadband across the UK by 2025 .
The Tories have pledged to bring full fibre and gigabit-capable broadband to every home and business in Britain within five years .
The chancellor is also expected to announce a £1bn deal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage .
The chancellor will scrap VAT on women 's sanitary products , in a move being celebrated by `` tampon tax '' campaigners .
There is currently a 5 % levy on women 's sanitary products , which ministers have said they were prevented from removing due to EU rules on VAT .
Under the plans , VAT on sanitary products will be abolished from 1 January 2021. : : Listen to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Mr Sunak is reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage investment in UK exporters , with it hoped the money will encourage green growth and boost the defence industry .
Extra cash is being pledged by Mr Sunak to toughen measures for criminals on probation .
More sophisticated electronic tags , for those released from prison half-way through their sentences , will monitor location and also analyse if alcohol has been drunk by measuring samples of skin sweat every 30 minutes .
The investment will also pay for the tightening of curfews and increasing the hours of unpaid work that those undertaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Sunak will spend £10m to curb domestic abuse by tackling `` high-risk , high-harm perpetrators '' through early action and using one-to-one interventions .
A further £5m will be used to trial a new domestic abuse court .
The chancellor will also spend £15m to improve the court process for victims of rape and sexual abuse .
That money will go on hiring independent sexual advisers who are trained to guide and support victims through the justice system .
A planned memorial in Southampton to commemorate the Spitfire is to receive a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year is the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain .
Mr Sunak is set to spend £30m on new fully accessible public toilets - with specialist equipment such as an adult-sized changing bench and a hoist system - as well as making such facilities compulsory in new public buildings by the end of the year .
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR The chancellor will be looking at ways to fund his spending pledges , perhaps through tax changes .
In the days before the budget , a group of Conservative MPs warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as they urged him to show they are a `` government for workers '' .
Despite fuel duty having been frozen since 2010 , it has been reported the chancellor could move to end the long freeze as part of measures to help the UK meet climate change targets .
Mr Sunak could also help fund his spending pledges by axing higher-rate pension tax relief , which has been a heavily speculated move .
It has been estimated this could generate an annual saving for the Treasury of £10bn .
The Conservative manifesto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entrepreneurs ' relief , which cuts the amount of capital gains tax paid when business owners sell their firms .
It was set up in a bid to encourage people to start businesses , but it has been suggested Mr Sunak might bring entreperneurs ' relief to an end on the grounds that it disproportionately helps richer people in the South of England .
However , others have argued the scheme is growing much faster in the North than in London and should be kept .
In the Conservative manifesto , the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of fiscal rules .
This included not borrowing to fund day-to-day spending , ensuring public sector net investment averages no more than 3 % of GDP , and to reassess spending if debt interest reaches 6 % of revenue .
The Tories also promised that debt would be lower at the end of this parliament , in 2024 .
Ex-chancellor Sajid Javid drew up the rules but , following his resignation , his successor Mr Sunak has hinted he could make them more flexible .

Chancellor Rishi Sunak will reveal his first budget on Wednesday after just 27 days in the job. But what is he expected to announce? And what else should you be looking out for?
WHAT IS EXPECTED?
Coronavirus
The global coronavirus outbreak, which has seen stock markets crash and countries such as Italy place their entire population into quarantine, has naturally dominated the build-up to the budget.
The chancellor has promised to "give the NHS whatever it needs" in response to COVID-19, while he is also expected to set out measures to support affected businesses.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already announced a change to rules on sick pay, but Mr Sunak is under pressure to go further and help low earners and those who are self-employed.
Floods
The coronavirus crisis came shortly after many parts of the UK were struck by severe flooding, leading to criticism of the prime minister's response.
Mr Sunak will use the budget to announce a doubling of spending on flood defences - an increase from £2.6bn to £5.2bn between 2015 and 2021.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 18:00 Chancellor Rishi Sunak talks budget, coronavirus and Nando's
Potholes
A £2.5bn fund for fixing up to 50 million potholes over the next five years is expected.
Infrastructure
Bigger infrastructure projects will also get a boost with the announcement that capital spending will increase from £500bn to £600bn in the next five years.
The Treasury is promising to triple the average net investment seen over the past 40 years.
This will put public investment at the highest levels in real terms since 1955.
National insurance
The chancellor will reportedly raise the employment allowance from £3,000 to £4,000, meaning firms will not have to pay employer national insurance contributions on the first £4,000 of their annual bill.
The action for small businesses was promised in the Conservative manifesto before the general election.
The Federation of Small Businesses has welcomed the move at a time when firms will face an increase in the minimum wage from next month.
Military veterans
Another change on national insurance will see firms who employ military veterans pay no national insurance contributions for the first year of their work.
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Broadband
Mr Sunak will seek to fulfil a further Conservative manifesto promise by confirming a £5bn investment to roll out faster broadband across the UK by 2025.
The Tories have pledged to bring full fibre and gigabit-capable broadband to every home and business in Britain within five years.
The chancellor is also expected to announce a £1bn deal with the mobile phone industry to boost 4G coverage.
'Tampon tax'
The chancellor will scrap VAT on women's sanitary products, in a move being celebrated by "tampon tax" campaigners.
There is currently a 5% levy on women's sanitary products, which ministers have said they were prevented from removing due to EU rules on VAT.
Under the plans, VAT on sanitary products will be abolished from 1 January 2021.
:: Listen to the Sophy Ridge on Sunday podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Exports
Mr Sunak is reportedly preparing a £5bn package of loans to encourage investment in UK exporters, with it hoped the money will encourage green growth and boost the defence industry.
Criminal probation
Extra cash is being pledged by Mr Sunak to toughen measures for criminals on probation.
More sophisticated electronic tags, for those released from prison half-way through their sentences, will monitor location and also analyse if alcohol has been drunk by measuring samples of skin sweat every 30 minutes.
The investment will also pay for the tightening of curfews and increasing the hours of unpaid work that those undertaking community service need to carry out.
Domestic abuse
Mr Sunak will spend £10m to curb domestic abuse by tackling "high-risk, high-harm perpetrators" through early action and using one-to-one interventions.
A further £5m will be used to trial a new domestic abuse court.
The chancellor will also spend £15m to improve the court process for victims of rape and sexual abuse.
That money will go on hiring independent sexual advisers who are trained to guide and support victims through the justice system.
Spitfire memorial
A planned memorial in Southampton to commemorate the Spitfire is to receive a £3m grant from the government.
This year is the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
Image: This year is the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain
Public toilets
Mr Sunak is set to spend £30m on new fully accessible public toilets - with specialist equipment such as an adult-sized changing bench and a hoist system - as well as making such facilities compulsory in new public buildings by the end of the year.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
Fuel duty
The chancellor will be looking at ways to fund his spending pledges, perhaps through tax changes.
In the days before the budget, a group of Conservative MPs warned Mr Sunak not to hike fuel duty as they urged him to show they are a "government for workers".
Despite fuel duty having been frozen since 2010, it has been reported the chancellor could move to end the long freeze as part of measures to help the UK meet climate change targets.
Pension tax relief
Mr Sunak could also help fund his spending pledges by axing higher-rate pension tax relief, which has been a heavily speculated move.
It has been estimated this could generate an annual saving for the Treasury of £10bn.
Image: Will the chancellor and prime minister tear up the Tories' fiscal rules?
Entrepreneurs' relief
The Conservative manifesto promised to "review and reform" entrepreneurs' relief, which cuts the amount of capital gains tax paid when business owners sell their firms.
It was set up in a bid to encourage people to start businesses, but it has been suggested Mr Sunak might bring entreperneurs' relief to an end on the grounds that it disproportionately helps richer people in the South of England.
However, others have argued the scheme is growing much faster in the North than in London and should be kept.
Fiscal rules
In the Conservative manifesto, the party promised they would stick to a number of fiscal rules.
This included not borrowing to fund day-to-day spending, ensuring public sector net investment averages no more than 3% of GDP, and to reassess spending if debt interest reaches 6% of revenue.
The Tories also promised that debt would be lower at the end of this parliament, in 2024.
Ex-chancellor Sajid Javid drew up the rules but, following his resignation, his successor Mr Sunak has hinted he could make them more flexible.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-10--The chancellor is facing a daunting challenge as he delivers the budget

The chancellor may keep options in his locker for the medium term In the golden afterglow of that thumping election win , Boris Johnson and his team sketched out an ambition to match the majority .
Theirs was to be a transformative agenda to level up Britain and set the colour of the changed political map .
The former chancellor Sajid Javid hailed it as his `` decade of renewal '' budget .
But this week , another former chancellor offered a new slogan .
George Osborne said : `` I would make this the budget for coronavirus .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccinate the economy against what 's going to happen , if we ca n't vaccinate people against what 's going to happen . ''
As the spread of COVID-19 has moved at speed , so too has the Treasury to reshape this budget to try to address the immediate economic impacts this emerging global pandemic will have on the economy .
`` We are facing a significant short-term shock , '' says one senior government figure .
`` And the response has to be to addressing that and some of the economic impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we also must keep our eyes on the long-term when the impact on OECD [ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ] economies begins to unwind . ''
Immediate help will be in three areas : for businesses , for the most economically vulnerable and for public services .
With events moving at a dizzying pace the government has at least done some of the groundwork on how to deal with severe disruption for a very different event - a no-deal Brexit .
Andrea Leadsom , the former business secretary and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that departments across Whitehall had worked up no-deal action plans to help different sectors cope with economic disruption .
These , she said , `` could be dusted off '' and adapted for the current crisis .
For business , the government have drawn up a package of measures to offer immediate relief .
Senior Conservative sources tell me one obvious option is to give businesses payment breaks on VAT and all taxes to help them with short-term cashflow .
They could also scale up employment allowance thresholds beyond smaller businesses to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance contributions for their employees .
The government could even suspend business rates or national insurance payments immediately to help ease the burden on business .
After all , the last thing ministers will want in the coming weeks is a big spike in those applying for Universal Credit because their employers have gone bust and they 've been laid off .
Expect more support too for those working in the gig economy , the self-employed and those on low pay to access financial support should they be forced to self isolate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ can claim sick pay from the first day they are off work - it used to be a four-day wait - and is now looking at ways to extend this support to ensure people access support through the benefits system .
The third area will be around public services .
The chancellor has already said the NHS will get all the funding it needs .
On Wednesday , he 'll set out the detail of what that emergency package looks like .
Day-by-day with the focus of the budget shifting and the risks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daunting challenge just weeks into this new job .
The public is nervous and anxious .
On Wednesday , they will care less about the manifesto promises and more about the government 's ability to care for its people and keep us safe .
Mr Sunak knows he will be judged on how he handles the economic challenges of the disease .
Some planned announcements will be pushed back to later in the year as the chancellor concentrates his firepower on dealing with the coronavirus economic shock .
He also needs to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term in order to flex the economy once the initial economic shock has fed through and he 's trying to get back on track .
On Wednesday , he may flag other policy options he could unleash in a few months ' time - a blanket cut to VAT , or more support for business or personal loans - depending on what sort of symptoms the economy is showing .
But the new chancellor will want to keep a theme of his predecessor 's `` decade of renewal '' in this budget - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signal to the public that this is a government does have a plan for the economy that will help stimulate growth and investment beyond the short term .
The 2019 Conservative manifesto committed to investing up to £100bn in additional infrastructure over the next five years .
On Wednesday , the chancellor will announce plans for `` hundreds of billions of pounds '' of extra investment over the parliament as it seeks to `` level up '' the country .
`` We ca n't lose sight of the longer-term , '' is how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the eve of the budget .
But with the coronavirus epidemic changing hour by hour we are all , for the next few weeks at least , living in a very different timeframe .
This government and this chancellor will not be judged on the next five years .
It will be judged on how it steers us through the next few weeks and months .

Sky News' Beth Rigby says the government will not be judged on the next five years but coming weeks and months.
The chancellor may keep options in his locker for the medium term
In the golden afterglow of that thumping election win, Boris Johnson and his team sketched out an ambition to match the majority.
Theirs was to be a transformative agenda to level up Britain and set the colour of the changed political map.
The former chancellor Sajid Javid hailed it as his "decade of renewal" budget.
Image: Rishi Sunak faces a daunting challenge
But this week, another former chancellor offered a new slogan.
George Osborne said: "I would make this the budget for coronavirus.
"I would do everything I could to vaccinate the economy against what's going to happen, if we can't vaccinate people against what's going to happen."
As the spread of COVID-19 has moved at speed, so too has the Treasury to reshape this budget to try to address the immediate economic impacts this emerging global pandemic will have on the economy.
"We are facing a significant short-term shock," says one senior government figure.
"And the response has to be to addressing that and some of the economic impact primarily on the supply side.
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"But we also must keep our eyes on the long-term when the impact on OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] economies begins to unwind."
Immediate help will be in three areas: for businesses, for the most economically vulnerable and for public services.
With events moving at a dizzying pace the government has at least done some of the groundwork on how to deal with severe disruption for a very different event - a no-deal Brexit.
Andrea Leadsom, the former business secretary and a leading Brexiteer, told me last week that departments across Whitehall had worked up no-deal action plans to help different sectors cope with economic disruption.
These, she said, "could be dusted off" and adapted for the current crisis.
For business, the government have drawn up a package of measures to offer immediate relief.
Senior Conservative sources tell me one obvious option is to give businesses payment breaks on VAT and all taxes to help them with short-term cashflow.
They could also scale up employment allowance thresholds beyond smaller businesses to give more firms a relief on paying national insurance contributions for their employees.
Image: The coronavirus epidemic is changing hour by hour
The government could even suspend business rates or national insurance payments immediately to help ease the burden on business.
After all, the last thing ministers will want in the coming weeks is a big spike in those applying for Universal Credit because their employers have gone bust and they've been laid off.
Expect more support too for those working in the gig economy, the self-employed and those on low pay to access financial support should they be forced to self isolate.
The government has already said eligible employees can claim sick pay from the first day they are off work - it used to be a four-day wait - and is now looking at ways to extend this support to ensure people access support through the benefits system.
The third area will be around public services.
Some planned announcements will be pushed back to later in the year as the chancellor concentrates his firepower on dealing with the Coronavirus economic shock
The chancellor has already said the NHS will get all the funding it needs. On Wednesday, he'll set out the detail of what that emergency package looks like.
Day-by-day with the focus of the budget shifting and the risks intensifying, Chancellor Rishi Sunak faces a daunting challenge just weeks into this new job.
The public is nervous and anxious.
On Wednesday, they will care less about the manifesto promises and more about the government's ability to care for its people and keep us safe.
Image: The last thing ministers want is a big spike in applications for Universal Credit
Mr Sunak knows he will be judged on how he handles the economic challenges of the disease.
Some planned announcements will be pushed back to later in the year as the chancellor concentrates his firepower on dealing with the coronavirus economic shock.
He also needs to keep options in his locker for the medium term in order to flex the economy once the initial economic shock has fed through and he's trying to get back on track.
On Wednesday, he may flag other policy options he could unleash in a few months' time - a blanket cut to VAT, or more support for business or personal loans - depending on what sort of symptoms the economy is showing.
Image: Money will go to businesses, the most economically vulnerable and public services
But the new chancellor will want to keep a theme of his predecessor's "decade of renewal" in this budget - not least because he will want to signal to the public that this is a government does have a plan for the economy that will help stimulate growth and investment beyond the short term.
The 2019 Conservative manifesto committed to investing up to £100bn in additional infrastructure over the next five years.
On Wednesday, the chancellor will announce plans for "hundreds of billions of pounds" of extra investment over the parliament as it seeks to "level up" the country.
"We can't lose sight of the longer-term," is how one government source put it to me on the eve of the budget.
But with the coronavirus epidemic changing hour by hour we are all, for the next few weeks at least, living in a very different timeframe.
This government and this chancellor will not be judged on the next five years.
It will be judged on how it steers us through the next few weeks and months.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-10--Overshadowed by the coronavirus, this budget will feel very unreal

You 're probably familiar with the typical budget day routine .
The chancellor stands outside Downing Street , parading the red box in front of the waiting photographers .
After a riotous session of Prime Minister 's Questions , the big speech begins .
Bets are made over how long the chancellor will speak for and how many sips of water will be consumed .
How fast will they rush through all the bad news ?
Gordon Brown made a habit of reading out the deficit numbers so quickly no one could keep up .
What rabbits will be pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work begins when the chancellor sits down .
This is when the Treasury publishes the full details of the budget .
All eyes turn to the so-called `` score card '' showing how big ( or indeed small ) the exciting measures name-checked in his speech are .
We begin to learn whether this budget constitutes a big giveaway or whether the chancellor is giving with one hand and taking with the other .
The Office for Budget Responsibility ( OBR ) publish their full forecasts and we get to know the nitty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing .
There have been many budgets and fiscal events in recent years but they have all , for the most part , held to the pattern above .
Yet this year 's budget - Rishi Sunak 's first as chancellor - is likely to be very different indeed .
For there will be an air of unreality hanging over the whole thing .
Until only a few weeks ago , the plan was supposed to be roughly as above .
Mr Sunak planned a budget which delivered the Tory manifesto and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of the Conservatives ' `` levelling up '' agenda .
The OBR was planning to trim its growth forecasts for the next couple of years , along the lines of the Bank of England 's latest projections ( which is to say , down from 1.4 % to just under 1 % in this year ) .
The spreadsheets were nearly finished , the forecasts pretty much tied up .
But then along came the coronavirus .
And the upshot of COVID-19 is that this budget will feel very unreal indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth figures which , while they have been trimmed slightly , will be presented alongside provisos explaining that they are likely to overstate the eventual outcome .
The truth is that the virus outbreak , and the associated changes in behaviour - people cutting back on shopping and going out , people staying home from work - are so fast-moving that they are nearly impossible to model .
What seems likely is that the UK will suffer a large cut to economic growth .
It may face a recession .
In the face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drafts for the budget have been thrown out and replaced by an alternative plan .
Much of the day will be devoted not to talking about the chancellor 's long-term vision but about the short-term fixes he can put into place to help support the fight against the virus and support the wider economy .
The mood in the House of Commons is likely to be more sombre and reflective than usual .
This , after all , is a crisis which , unlike the financial crisis of 2008 , can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party or another .
It is what economists might call `` exogenous '' - a shock coming from outside that disrupts nearly every part of the economy .
And the other unreal thing about the budget is that everyone knows that whatever he says on Wednesday , the chances are the chancellor will have to announce further measures if the virus outbreak becomes more severe .
He may hold back from the more dramatic shock-and-awe policies but give himself the leeway to impose them if the economic backdrop worsens .
On the basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Britain was overdue an economic slump or recession .
The only thing we did n't know was what would cause the slump .
Now we know the answer : COVID-19 .
The only question is how deep the slump gets .
We might get some of the answers in this week 's budget .
But there is far more that we do n't know .

You're probably familiar with the typical budget day routine.
The chancellor stands outside Downing Street, parading the red box in front of the waiting photographers.
After a riotous session of Prime Minister's Questions, the big speech begins.
Image: PMQs always runs before the budget
Bets are made over how long the chancellor will speak for and how many sips of water will be consumed.
How fast will they rush through all the bad news? Gordon Brown made a habit of reading out the deficit numbers so quickly no one could keep up.
What rabbits will be pulled from the hat?
The real analytical work begins when the chancellor sits down.
This is when the Treasury publishes the full details of the budget.
All eyes turn to the so-called "score card" showing how big (or indeed small) the exciting measures name-checked in his speech are.
Advertisement
We begin to learn whether this budget constitutes a big giveaway or whether the chancellor is giving with one hand and taking with the other.
Image: The atmosphere in parliament for this event may be more somber than usual
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) publish their full forecasts and we get to know the nitty gritty of how well the economy is doing.
There have been many budgets and fiscal events in recent years but they have all, for the most part, held to the pattern above.
Yet this year's budget - Rishi Sunak's first as chancellor - is likely to be very different indeed. For there will be an air of unreality hanging over the whole thing.
Until only a few weeks ago, the plan was supposed to be roughly as above.
What seems likely is that the UK will suffer a large cut to economic growth. It may face a recession.
Mr Sunak planned a budget which delivered the Tory manifesto and more besides. This was supposed to be the beginning of the Conservatives' "levelling up" agenda.
The OBR was planning to trim its growth forecasts for the next couple of years, along the lines of the Bank of England's latest projections (which is to say, down from 1.4% to just under 1% in this year).
The spreadsheets were nearly finished, the forecasts pretty much tied up.
But then along came the coronavirus.
Image: Coronavirus has thrown the Treasury's plans into a spin
And the upshot of COVID-19 is that this budget will feel very unreal indeed.
That unreality begins with the economic growth figures which, while they have been trimmed slightly, will be presented alongside provisos explaining that they are likely to overstate the eventual outcome.
The truth is that the virus outbreak, and the associated changes in behaviour - people cutting back on shopping and going out, people staying home from work - are so fast-moving that they are nearly impossible to model.
What seems likely is that the UK will suffer a large cut to economic growth. It may face a recession.
In the face of this economic crisis, the previous drafts for the budget have been thrown out and replaced by an alternative plan.
Much of the day will be devoted not to talking about the chancellor's long-term vision but about the short-term fixes he can put into place to help support the fight against the virus and support the wider economy.
The mood in the House of Commons is likely to be more sombre and reflective than usual.
This, after all, is a crisis which, unlike the financial crisis of 2008, cannot be easily laid at the door of one party or another.
It is what economists might call "exogenous" - a shock coming from outside that disrupts nearly every part of the economy.
Image: Mr Sunak could hold back some more shock-and-awe measures
And the other unreal thing about the budget is that everyone knows that whatever he says on Wednesday, the chances are the chancellor will have to announce further measures if the virus outbreak becomes more severe.
He may hold back from the more dramatic shock-and-awe policies but give himself the leeway to impose them if the economic backdrop worsens.
On the basis of economic cycle lengths in recent decades, Britain was overdue an economic slump or recession.
The only thing we didn't know was what would cause the slump.
Now we know the answer: COVID-19.
The only question is how deep the slump gets.
We might get some of the answers in this week's budget. But there is far more that we don't know.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-10--PM sees off first Tory rebellion in row over Huawei

Boris Johnson has seen off his first Tory rebellion since the election in a row over Huawei 's involvement in Britain 's 5G network .
The prime minister defeated dozens of his own MPs - including several former cabinet ministers who were trying to limit the Chinese tech giant 's access to infrastructure in the UK to the end of 2022 .
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tried to persuade the head of the rebellion - former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith - not to persist with the issue by putting his amendment to a vote in parliament .
But assurances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` high-risk vendors '' failed to buy him - and other Conservative grandees like Damian Green and David Davis - off .
Mr Johnson won the vote by 306 to 282 , giving him a relatively slim majority of 24 .
A total of 38 Tories rebelled in the end - not enough to inflict defeat but a sizeable number to send a message to Downing Street .
Tory MP Bob Seely said he was `` surprised '' so many colleagues rebelled because the piece of legislation they were trying to amend `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It was a strong first showing , '' he tweeted .
Tom Tugendhat , another Conservative who chairs the foreign affairs select committee , added he `` could not support the government '' and urged them to change their minds before the main showdown expected in the summer .
Backbencher Sir Bob Neil added `` I could not have put it better myself '' .
Another - Tim Loughton - urged : `` We should not be taking these risks with our security . ''
The row centres over Mr Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to supply `` non-core '' elements of the 5G network .
It defied security concerns - particularly from the US - and left the White House facing pressure to review its intelligence-sharing relationship with the UK .
Among the conditions for Huawei 's involvement are it being excluded from all safety-related networks and sensitive geographic locations such as nuclear sites and military bases , as well as it having a 35 % cap in non-sensitive parts of the 5G network .

Boris Johnson has seen off his first Tory rebellion since the election in a row over Huawei's involvement in Britain's 5G network.
The prime minister defeated dozens of his own MPs - including several former cabinet ministers who were trying to limit the Chinese tech giant's access to infrastructure in the UK to the end of 2022.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tried to persuade the head of the rebellion - former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith - not to persist with the issue by putting his amendment to a vote in parliament.
But assurances the government wanted to eventually phase out "high-risk vendors" failed to buy him - and other Conservative grandees like Damian Green and David Davis - off.
Mr Johnson won the vote by 306 to 282, giving him a relatively slim majority of 24.
A total of 38 Tories rebelled in the end - not enough to inflict defeat but a sizeable number to send a message to Downing Street.
Tory MP Bob Seely said he was "surprised" so many colleagues rebelled because the piece of legislation they were trying to amend "was not even the right vehicle".
"It was a strong first showing," he tweeted.
Image: The PM scraped through with a majority of 24 - much shorter than the usual 80
Tom Tugendhat, another Conservative who chairs the foreign affairs select committee, added he "could not support the government" and urged them to change their minds before the main showdown expected in the summer.
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Backbencher Sir Bob Neil added "I could not have put it better myself".
Another - Tim Loughton - urged: "We should not be taking these risks with our security."
The row centres over Mr Johnson's decision in January to allow Huawei to supply "non-core" elements of the 5G network.
It defied security concerns - particularly from the US - and left the White House facing pressure to review its intelligence-sharing relationship with the UK.
Among the conditions for Huawei's involvement are it being excluded from all safety-related networks and sensitive geographic locations such as nuclear sites and military bases, as well as it having a 35% cap in non-sensitive parts of the 5G network.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-10--Britons should access GP services digitally, health secretary warns

NHS patients should access GP services digitally with `` immediate effect '' because of the coronavirus outbreak , Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said .
Following a warning that `` many thousands of people '' in the country will contract coronavirus , Mr Hancock revealed the NHS is ramping up efforts for Britons to access medical services from home .
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons : `` We 're taking steps , of course , to improve access by making sure people can access primary care in the best possible way .
`` I can be clear to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a digital-first approach to accessing primary care and outpatient appointments .
`` So that wherever clinically and practically possible , people can access and should access primary care through phones and digital means .
`` This is especially important in the current coronavirus outbreak .
`` Already there is a rollout that 's started , but we will make this across the country with immediate effect . ''
In new efforts to respond to the coronavirus outbreak , it was also revealed : • The government has reserved a hotel by Heathrow airport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to self-isolate • Two-thirds of PPE ( personal protective equipment ) has been rolled out into GP surgeries , with the rest arriving `` imminently '' • Ministers are looking at lifting `` all appropriate bureaucracy '' requirements - such as appraisals - from GPs to free up their time • Former staff from the Department for Exiting the EU , which was shut down in January , who had been working on no-deal Brexit contingency planning are now working on the coronavirus response Mr Hancock vowed to ensure care staff have PPE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told some have reported having to buy their own gloves .
Labour 's shadow health minister Barbara Keeley also claimed one care provider `` had their order of protective equipment requisitioned by the NHS '' .
Mr Hancock replied : `` The work to make sure that protective equipment is available extends to social care staff .
`` Most social care is provided through private businesses and therefore it 's a different delivery model .
`` But it does n't make it any less important , and I 'm very happy for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting to make sure we can listen to the concerns that she 's heard because we want to address them . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Mr Hancock later said all contingency plans for the social care system on the reasonable worst-case scenario require being able to operate with a 20 % reduction in workforce .
With some Britons facing the possibility of having to self-isolate due to coronavirus , the health secretary was also asked about whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Hancock vowed that `` whatever the status of people working across the economy '' - including those who are self-employed - they `` will get the support that means they are not penalised for doing the right thing '' .
Speaking to Kay Burley @ Breakfast , the UK 's deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries had said : `` We will have significant numbers in a way which I think the country is not used to .
So , large numbers of the population will become infected [ with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naive population , nobody has got antibodies to this virus currently .
`` Having said that , 99 % of those will almost certainly get better and most people will have a really quite mild disease and will not need to be in hospital .
[ They ] can be managed very safely and appropriately at home .
`` The important thing for us is to make sure that we manage those infections and make sure that those individuals who are most affected - our elderly people , particularly those with chronic underlying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment , and that we support other people in the home environment . ''

NHS patients should access GP services digitally with "immediate effect" because of the coronavirus outbreak, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
Following a warning that "many thousands of people" in the country will contract coronavirus, Mr Hancock revealed the NHS is ramping up efforts for Britons to access medical services from home.
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons: "We're taking steps, of course, to improve access by making sure people can access primary care in the best possible way.
"I can be clear to the House today that we will take a digital-first approach to accessing primary care and outpatient appointments.
"So that wherever clinically and practically possible, people can access and should access primary care through phones and digital means.
"This is especially important in the current coronavirus outbreak.
"Already there is a rollout that's started, but we will make this across the country with immediate effect."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 13:31 Coronavirus: How worried should we be?
In new efforts to respond to the coronavirus outbreak, it was also revealed:
The government has reserved a hotel by Heathrow airport for foreign nationals arriving in the UK to self-isolate
Two-thirds of PPE (personal protective equipment) has been rolled out into GP surgeries, with the rest arriving "imminently"
Ministers are looking at lifting "all appropriate bureaucracy" requirements - such as appraisals - from GPs to free up their time
Former staff from the Department for Exiting the EU, which was shut down in January, who had been working on no-deal Brexit contingency planning are now working on the coronavirus response
Mr Hancock vowed to ensure care staff have PPE amid the coronavirus outbreak, after being told some have reported having to buy their own gloves.
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Labour's shadow health minister Barbara Keeley also claimed one care provider "had their order of protective equipment requisitioned by the NHS".
Mr Hancock replied: "The work to make sure that protective equipment is available extends to social care staff.
"Most social care is provided through private businesses and therefore it's a different delivery model.
"But it doesn't make it any less important, and I'm very happy for her and the minister for care to have a meeting to make sure we can listen to the concerns that she's heard because we want to address them."
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:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Hancock later said all contingency plans for the social care system on the reasonable worst-case scenario require being able to operate with a 20% reduction in workforce.
With some Britons facing the possibility of having to self-isolate due to coronavirus, the health secretary was also asked about whether the government would increase access to sick pay.
Mr Hancock vowed that "whatever the status of people working across the economy" - including those who are self-employed - they "will get the support that means they are not penalised for doing the right thing".
Speaking to Kay Burley@Breakfast, the UK's deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries had said: "We will have significant numbers in a way which I think the country is not used to. So, large numbers of the population will become infected [with coronavirus] but because it's a naive population, nobody has got antibodies to this virus currently.
"Having said that, 99% of those will almost certainly get better and most people will have a really quite mild disease and will not need to be in hospital. [They] can be managed very safely and appropriately at home.
"The important thing for us is to make sure that we manage those infections and make sure that those individuals who are most affected - our elderly people, particularly those with chronic underlying conditions - get in touch and get treatment, and that we support other people in the home environment."


skynewspolitics--2020-03-09--Criminals on probation targeted in budget crackdown

Criminals on probation will face tougher restraints under new funding promised in the upcoming budget .
Around £70m is being pledged by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to put more sophisticated electronic tags on those convicted of alcohol-related offences released halfway through their sentences .
The devices will monitor location and also analyse if alcohol has been drunk by measuring samples of skin sweat every 30 minutes .
Other clampdowns to be paid for with the investment include increasing the amount of unpaid work those doing community service need to carry out , according to the Treasury .
Crime is an area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with latest figures showing police in England and Wales are combating the highest levels of knife crime in a decade .
Mr Sunak said keeping the streets safe was `` one of the people 's priorities '' , citing a drive to hire 20,000 police officers - roughly the number cut by the Conservative-led governments since 2010 .
The funding pledge was welcomed by the Liberal Democrats , but they accused the government of failing to `` properly invest '' in rehabilitation services .
Daisy Cooper , the party 's justice spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` failing to rehabilitate people , leading to more crimes and more victims '' .
She urged the chancellor to `` invest in rehabilitative services , both in prison and in the community , to enable people who have committed crimes to turn their lives around '' .
Mr Sunak , who has been in the job less than a month after his predecessor Sajid Javid unexpectedly quit , is also pledging an extra £15m to `` improve the court process for victims of rape and sexual abuse '' .
That money will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are `` trained to guide and support victims through the justice system '' , the Treasury confirmed .
Another £5m will be used to trial a new domestic abuse court .
A further £10m is expected to go on curbing domestic abuse by tackling `` high-risk , high-harm perpetrators '' through early action and using one-to-one interventions .
Labour MP Rosie Duffield , who spoke to Sky News ' Sophy Ridge on Sunday about her experience of domestic abuse , has already welcomed the government 's backing of a new law that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie detector tests to try to stop them reoffending .
Another announcement in the budget trailed on Monday night was a £30m pledge to help back-up a plan to make it compulsory for new public buildings to include an accessible toilet .
The `` Changing Places '' fund will be used to help organisations install the special facilities , which include an adult-sized changing bench and a hoist system , in existing buildings .
But pressure was put on the chancellor to solve the UK 's housing crisis after a report found more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their local authority for help remained or became homeless due to a lack of affordable housing .
Some 38 % of those who approached their council for help saw their housing situation either stay the same or worsen , according to a survey by Crisis .

Criminals on probation will face tougher restraints under new funding promised in the upcoming budget.
Around £70m is being pledged by Chancellor Rishi Sunak to put more sophisticated electronic tags on those convicted of alcohol-related offences released halfway through their sentences.
The devices will monitor location and also analyse if alcohol has been drunk by measuring samples of skin sweat every 30 minutes.
Other clampdowns to be paid for with the investment include increasing the amount of unpaid work those doing community service need to carry out, according to the Treasury.
Crime is an area the government is keen to focus on, with latest figures showing police in England and Wales are combating the highest levels of knife crime in a decade.
Mr Sunak said keeping the streets safe was "one of the people's priorities", citing a drive to hire 20,000 police officers - roughly the number cut by the Conservative-led governments since 2010.
The funding pledge was welcomed by the Liberal Democrats, but they accused the government of failing to "properly invest" in rehabilitation services.
Daisy Cooper, the party's justice spokesperson, said the criminal justice system was "failing to rehabilitate people, leading to more crimes and more victims".
She urged the chancellor to "invest in rehabilitative services, both in prison and in the community, to enable people who have committed crimes to turn their lives around".
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Image: Rishi Sunak will deliver his first budget on Wednesday - less than a month into the job
Mr Sunak, who has been in the job less than a month after his predecessor Sajid Javid unexpectedly quit, is also pledging an extra £15m to "improve the court process for victims of rape and sexual abuse".
That money will go on hiring independent sexual advisers who are "trained to guide and support victims through the justice system", the Treasury confirmed.
Another £5m will be used to trial a new domestic abuse court.
A further £10m is expected to go on curbing domestic abuse by tackling "high-risk, high-harm perpetrators" through early action and using one-to-one interventions.
Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who spoke to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday about her experience of domestic abuse, has already welcomed the government's backing of a new law that could force some convicted domestic abusers to take lie detector tests to try to stop them reoffending.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 7:28 An MP's story of domestic abuse
Another announcement in the budget trailed on Monday night was a £30m pledge to help back-up a plan to make it compulsory for new public buildings to include an accessible toilet.
The "Changing Places" fund will be used to help organisations install the special facilities, which include an adult-sized changing bench and a hoist system, in existing buildings.
But pressure was put on the chancellor to solve the UK's housing crisis after a report found more than a third of people who asked their local authority for help remained or became homeless due to a lack of affordable housing.
Some 38% of those who approached their council for help saw their housing situation either stay the same or worsen, according to a survey by Crisis.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-12--Parliament tours could be halted - but MPs will stay to pass emergency laws

School and college tours to the House of Commons could be rescheduled and visitors prevented from entering parliament under new measures designed to cope with the spread of coronavirus .
Experts met with authorities from the House of Lords and House of Commons earlier in the week to discuss the next steps if the government moves the country into the delay stage of COVID-19 control .
The decision to move to delay is expected to be taken later on Thursday after a meeting of the emergency COBRA committee chaired by the prime minister .
Experts advised parliamentary authorities that closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on preventing the virus from spreading at this stage .
Instead a staged process was proposed , during which visitors would be restricted , events held on the estate reduced and school tours rescheduled for later in the year .
MPs were told at another meeting this week that the virus was already likely to be spreading among staff on the estate and were urged to wash hands regularly .
Hand sanitiser has also been installed in hundreds of locations around parliament .
Jacob Rees-Mogg , the Leader of the House of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` of fundamental importance that we keep this place open '' .
`` It is also important that we are treated and we treat ourselves in the same way as the rest of the country , '' he added .
`` And that we go ahead at the same pace as the rest of the country .
`` There should not be a difference in how parliament is behaving from the advice that is being given to our constituents .
`` We should n't try and seek to be a special case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency laws to deal with the coronavirus pandemic could be introduced in the week beginning 23 March , subject to talks between the government and Labour .
`` It is something where the whole nation is coming together as one and I 'm grateful for the support so far being received from the official opposition , '' he added .
Mr Rees-Mogg also dismissed suggestions that MPs could alter their usual practices , such as changing the way they vote , after he revealed Public Health England had found the Commons ' voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spreading coronavirus .
This week health minister Nadine Dorries tested positive for the virus and a Cabinet minister is waiting to be tested , while a number of other MPs have taken the decision to self-isolate .
A parliamentary source said authorities are being guided by advice from a public health expert and are taking necessary steps to avoid the spread of the virus among MPs , peers and staff .
But they also want to avoid worrying the public by closing down parliament and sending a panicked message .
Some MPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not been taken following confirmation that Ms Dorries has contracted the virus .
However , others warned that closing the Commons and Lords would prevent MPs from passing key pieces of legislation .
This includes emergency measures to bolster the NHS and allow supermarkets to keep food supplies flowing around the country .
The finance bill also needs to be voted through parliament to enact emergency measures set out by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in Wednesday 's budget .

School and college tours to the House of Commons could be rescheduled and visitors prevented from entering parliament under new measures designed to cope with the spread of coronavirus.
Experts met with authorities from the House of Lords and House of Commons earlier in the week to discuss the next steps if the government moves the country into the delay stage of COVID-19 control.
The decision to move to delay is expected to be taken later on Thursday after a meeting of the emergency COBRA committee chaired by the prime minister.
Experts advised parliamentary authorities that closing the estate would not have a significant impact on preventing the virus from spreading at this stage.
Instead a staged process was proposed, during which visitors would be restricted, events held on the estate reduced and school tours rescheduled for later in the year.
MPs were told at another meeting this week that the virus was already likely to be spreading among staff on the estate and were urged to wash hands regularly.
Hand sanitiser has also been installed in hundreds of locations around parliament.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:57 Coronavirus: What you need to know
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House of Commons, told MPs on Thursday it was "of fundamental importance that we keep this place open".
"It is also important that we are treated and we treat ourselves in the same way as the rest of the country," he added.
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"And that we go ahead at the same pace as the rest of the country.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:48 Sunak's three-point plan to tackle coronavirus
"There should not be a difference in how parliament is behaving from the advice that is being given to our constituents.
"We shouldn't try and seek to be a special case for ourselves."
Mr Rees-Mogg indicated emergency laws to deal with the coronavirus pandemic could be introduced in the week beginning 23 March, subject to talks between the government and Labour.
"It is something where the whole nation is coming together as one and I'm grateful for the support so far being received from the official opposition," he added.
Mr Rees-Mogg also dismissed suggestions that MPs could alter their usual practices, such as changing the way they vote, after he revealed Public Health England had found the Commons' voting lobbies to not be a high risk to spreading coronavirus.
This week health minister Nadine Dorries tested positive for the virus and a Cabinet minister is waiting to be tested, while a number of other MPs have taken the decision to self-isolate.
A parliamentary source said authorities are being guided by advice from a public health expert and are taking necessary steps to avoid the spread of the virus among MPs, peers and staff.
But they also want to avoid worrying the public by closing down parliament and sending a panicked message.
Image: Health minister Nadine Dorries has contracted the virus
Some MPs have expressed concern that extra measures have not been taken following confirmation that Ms Dorries has contracted the virus.
However, others warned that closing the Commons and Lords would prevent MPs from passing key pieces of legislation.
This includes emergency measures to bolster the NHS and allow supermarkets to keep food supplies flowing around the country.
The finance bill also needs to be voted through parliament to enact emergency measures set out by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in Wednesday's budget.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-12--'We're still being responsible' - Chancellor defends giveaway budget

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defended splurging the cash in his budget as he vowed to `` do what it takes '' to steer the UK economy through the impact of the coronavirus pandemic .
With £12bn to be spent on an immediate response to COVID-19 - as well as £18bn in other spending pledges - Mr Sunak 's first budget has been described as the biggest Treasury giveaway for nearly 30 years .
The chancellor 's plans are estimated to add £100bn to public borrowing by 2024 , but Mr Sunak denied allowing free rein on Whitehall spending after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News ' Kay Burley @ Breakfast show : `` It 's because of the decisions we 've made over the last few years that our public finances are in a good position ; that the foundations of our economy are strong ; and that I was able yesterday to say I would do what it takes to help get our economy through the immediate challenges of coronavirus . ''
There were some signs of disquiet among Conservative MPs - including former prime minister Theresa May and ex-chancellor Sajid Javid - over Wednesday 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how he has stuck to the fiscal rules set out in the Conservatives ' general election manifesto , which were drawn up by his predecessor Mr Javid .
The Tories promised not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending , and that debt would be lower at the end of this parliament , in 2024 .
Mr Sunak said he had met both of these commitments in his first budget , although he has promised a review of the fiscal rules later in the year .
However , the chancellor did not deny that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with the immediate impact of coronavirus is to be fuelled by increased borrowing .
`` We still have very responsible management of the public finances , '' he said .
`` If you look at what the projections show , they show that we have stayed within the fiscal rules that we set out in our manifesto - and yesterday 's budget was about delivering on our policies - which means we absolutely do n't borrow for spending on a day-to-day spending on a forward basis .
`` And we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates we 're seeing at the moment to borrow to invest in things like infrastructure ; whether that 's road , rail or broadband . ''
Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell was supportive of Mr Sunak 's response to the coronavirus outbreak .
He claimed Tory MPs would have been `` jumping up and down '' if he had announced a giveaway budget such as Mr Sunak 's , although , he added , he would have overseen a `` much bigger programme '' if he had been in power .
`` Everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 10 years - that austerity will not solve our economic problems - regrettably have been proved right , '' Mr McDonnell told Kay Burley @ Breakfast .

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defended splurging the cash in his budget as he vowed to "do what it takes" to steer the UK economy through the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
With £12bn to be spent on an immediate response to COVID-19 - as well as £18bn in other spending pledges - Mr Sunak's first budget has been described as the biggest Treasury giveaway for nearly 30 years.
The chancellor's plans are estimated to add £100bn to public borrowing by 2024, but Mr Sunak denied allowing free rein on Whitehall spending after a decade of austerity.
He told Sky News' Kay Burley@Breakfast show: "It's because of the decisions we've made over the last few years that our public finances are in a good position; that the foundations of our economy are strong; and that I was able yesterday to say I would do what it takes to help get our economy through the immediate challenges of coronavirus."
There were some signs of disquiet among Conservative MPs - including former prime minister Theresa May and ex-chancellor Sajid Javid - over Wednesday's spend-heavy budget.
But Mr Sunak highlighted how he has stuck to the fiscal rules set out in the Conservatives' general election manifesto, which were drawn up by his predecessor Mr Javid.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:52 Chancellor: I don't need a coronavirus test
The Tories promised not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending, and that debt would be lower at the end of this parliament, in 2024.
Mr Sunak said he had met both of these commitments in his first budget, although he has promised a review of the fiscal rules later in the year.
However, the chancellor did not deny that his "bold and comprehensive package" to deal with the immediate impact of coronavirus is to be fuelled by increased borrowing.
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"We still have very responsible management of the public finances," he said.
"If you look at what the projections show, they show that we have stayed within the fiscal rules that we set out in our manifesto - and yesterday's budget was about delivering on our policies - which means we absolutely don't borrow for spending on a day-to-day spending on a forward basis.
"And we do take advantage of the very low interest rates we're seeing at the moment to borrow to invest in things like infrastructure; whether that's road, rail or broadband."
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Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell was supportive of Mr Sunak's response to the coronavirus outbreak.
He claimed Tory MPs would have been "jumping up and down" if he had announced a giveaway budget such as Mr Sunak's, although, he added, he would have overseen a "much bigger programme" if he had been in power.
"Everything that we've been saying over the last 10 years - that austerity will not solve our economic problems - regrettably have been proved right," Mr McDonnell told Kay Burley@Breakfast.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-11--National insurance, fuel, books and booze – key points from Budget 2020

Here are the key points from Chancellor Rishi Sunak 's budget speech : Government response designed to be complementary to measures announced by Bank of England .
Details a `` £30bn stimulus '' package .
Warns of temporary disruption to economy from COVID-19 .
It will be `` tough '' and `` significant '' but says things will return to normal .
`` What everyone needs to know is that we are doing everything we can to keep this country , and our people , healthy and financially secure '' .
Budget aims to bring `` stability and security '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requires `` whatever it needs , whatever it costs '' .
£6bn in new money for the NHS over this parliament - separate to emergency fund .
Extra funding for taxman to secure money from tax evaders and avoiders - aimed at securing £4.4bn of extra revenue for the health service .
Statutory sick pay available to those advised to self-isolate - even if they have n't presented with symptoms .
More help for self-employed or those in gig economy through £500m welfare boost and new £500m hardship fund .
Government to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 14 days for workers in firms with up to 250 employees .
Loans available to help small and medium-sized businesses .
Business rates abolished for retail , leisure or hospitality business with a rateable value below £51,000 .
Fuel , beer , wine and spirit duties all frozen to help a `` thriving '' private sector Business rates discount for pubs at £5,000 this year only National Insurance threshold to rise from £8,632 to £9,500 saving a typical employee £104 annually .
No VAT on tampon products from January one we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains at 19 % and will not be cut to 17 % .
Reducing the lifetime limit for Entrepreneurs ' Relief from £10m to £1m - saving taxpayers ' £6bn .
£5bn to get superfast broadband into rural areas and £510m for shared rural mobile phone network .
£2.5bn pothole fund .
`` Biggest programme of public investment ever '' with £27bn for strategic roads this Parliament .
New economic campus in northern England will include 750 staff from the Treasury and other departments - moving 22,000 civil servants outside central London eventually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , £360m for the Welsh government , and £210m for the Northern Ireland Executive .
New devolution deal in West Yorkshire , with a directly-elected mayor for the region and `` London-style funding settlements '' for all eight metro mayors worth £4.2bn .
£120m to help with flood clean-up and £5.2bn over six years for flood defences - a doubling of current package Plastics packaging tax will charge manufactures and importers £200 per tonne on packaging made of less than 30 % of recycled plastic .
Red diesel tax relief to be abolished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it Levy on electricity frozen from April 2022 in favour of rise on gas .
£1bn building safety fund to remove unsafe cladding from buildings above 18 metres tall following Grenfell fire and affordable homes programme extended .
£1.5bn over five years to improve the further education college buildings .
Funding for up to 19 Maths schools on top of existing spending boost for education .
VAT on digital publications including books , newspapers , magazines and academic journals abolished from December .
Budget package delivered within the government 's fiscal rules on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Independent Office for Budget Responsibility , without accounting for the impact of coronavirus , has forecast UK growth of 1.1 % in 2020 , 1.8 % in 2021 .
OBR sees borrowing rising from 2.1 % of GDP in 2019/20 to 2.4 % in 2020/21 and 2.8 % in 2021/22 .

Here are the key points from Chancellor Rishi Sunak's budget speech:
Coronavirus
Government response designed to be complementary to measures announced by Bank of England. Details a "£30bn stimulus" package.
Warns of temporary disruption to economy from COVID-19. It will be "tough" and "significant" but says things will return to normal.
"What everyone needs to know is that we are doing everything we can to keep this country, and our people, healthy and financially secure". Budget aims to bring "stability and security".
Coronavirus - NHS
NHS will get the resources it requires "whatever it needs, whatever it costs".
£5bn emergency response fund for NHS and public services initially.
£6bn in new money for the NHS over this parliament - separate to emergency fund.
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Extra funding for taxman to secure money from tax evaders and avoiders - aimed at securing £4.4bn of extra revenue for the health service.
Coronavirus - workers
Statutory sick pay available to those advised to self-isolate - even if they haven't presented with symptoms. More help for self-employed or those in gig economy through £500m welfare boost and new £500m hardship fund.
Government to meet cost of providing statutory sick pay for up to 14 days for workers in firms with up to 250 employees.
Coronavirus - businesses
Loans available to help small and medium-sized businesses. Business rates abolished for retail, leisure or hospitality business with a rateable value below £51,000.
£3,000 cash grant to businesses eligible for small business rates relief.
Tax
Fuel, beer, wine and spirit duties all frozen to help a "thriving" private sector
Business rates discount for pubs at £5,000 this year only
National Insurance threshold to rise from £8,632 to £9,500 saving a typical employee £104 annually.
No VAT on tampon products from January one we have left the EU.
Business
Corporation Tax remains at 19% and will not be cut to 17%.
Research and development investment rising to £22bn annually.
Reducing the lifetime limit for Entrepreneurs' Relief from £10m to £1m - saving taxpayers' £6bn.
'Levelling-up'
£5bn to get superfast broadband into rural areas and £510m for shared rural mobile phone network.
£2.5bn pothole fund. "Biggest programme of public investment ever" with £27bn for strategic roads this Parliament.
New economic campus in northern England will include 750 staff from the Treasury and other departments - moving 22,000 civil servants outside central London eventually.
£640m extra for the Scottish government, £360m for the Welsh government, and £210m for the Northern Ireland Executive.
New devolution deal in West Yorkshire, with a directly-elected mayor for the region and "London-style funding settlements" for all eight metro mayors worth £4.2bn.
Climate
£120m to help with flood clean-up and £5.2bn over six years for flood defences - a doubling of current package
Plastics packaging tax will charge manufactures and importers £200 per tonne on packaging made of less than 30% of recycled plastic.
Red diesel tax relief to be abolished in two years though farmers will keep it
Levy on electricity frozen from April 2022 in favour of rise on gas.
Housing
£1bn building safety fund to remove unsafe cladding from buildings above 18 metres tall following Grenfell fire and affordable homes programme extended.
Education
£1.5bn over five years to improve the further education college buildings.
Funding for up to 19 Maths schools on top of existing spending boost for education.
VAT on digital publications including books, newspapers, magazines and academic journals abolished from December.
Economic forecasts & spending
Budget package delivered within the government's fiscal rules on spending "with room to spare".
Independent Office for Budget Responsibility, without accounting for the impact of coronavirus, has forecast UK growth of 1.1% in 2020 , 1.8% in 2021.
OBR sees borrowing rising from 2.1% of GDP in 2019/20 to 2.4% in 2020/21 and 2.8% in 2021/22.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-12--Govt action plan on 'death trap' smart motorways

The government has revealed an 18-point action plan to improve `` smart '' motorways following concerns about their safety .
The aim of smart motorways is to keep traffic moving by converting the existing hard shoulder into an `` active '' fourth lane and controlling speed limits .
But they have been branded `` death traps '' after a number of high-profile cases .
Five people were killed in just 10 months on a 16-mile stretch of the M1 .
Due to the lack of a hard shoulder , drivers who break down on a smart motorway can be trapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sections of smart motorway on parts of the M1 , M4 , M5 , M6 , M42 and M62 .
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday published proposals to `` raise the bar '' on the safety of smart motorways .
Meera Naran , whose eight-year-old son Dev was killed in 2018 on a section of smart motorway on the M6 , was present in parliament as Mr Shapps announced his plans .
`` Overall , the evidence shows that in most ways smart motorways are as safe or safer than conventional ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , '' he told MPs .
`` I have therefore developed new measures to further improve safety . ''
In a written statement to parliament , Mr Shapps added that smart motorways had helped the country cope with a 23 % rise in traffic since 2000 .
`` They save motorists thousands of hours sitting in jams , '' he wrote .
`` They reduce the disruption and environmental destruction which would otherwise be needed to widen our busiest roads .
`` Their growth , however , has not always been well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and concerns exist over safety .
• abolishing `` dynamic hard shoulder '' smart motorways , where the hard shoulder is opened up for flowing traffic during busy periods after concerns they confuse drivers • Highways England to install `` stopped vehicle detection '' technology within the next 36 months , so vehicles can be detected and lanes closed more quickly ; • reducing the distance between areas to stop in an emergency ; • an aim to reduce the attendance time of Highways England traffic patrols from an average 17 minutes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing drivers ' awareness and understanding of smart motorways ; • updating the Highway Code to provide more guidance .
Highways England chief executive Jim O'Sullivan last year told MPs that smart motorways with hard shoulders only used at busy times are `` too complicated for people to use '' and wo n't be built in the future .
An RAC survey in November found that just 9 % of the more than 17,000 people questioned felt relaxed or safe driving on a smart motorway .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spotify , Spreaker Mr Shapps added in his statement : `` Motorists could be better informed about this change in our motorways .
`` Many do not know exactly what a smart motorway is , and are not aware of when they are on one or not .
`` We need to tackle the public perception of , and public confidence in , the safety of smart motorways as much as the reality . ''

The government has revealed an 18-point action plan to improve "smart" motorways following concerns about their safety.
The aim of smart motorways is to keep traffic moving by converting the existing hard shoulder into an "active" fourth lane and controlling speed limits.
But they have been branded "death traps" after a number of high-profile cases.
Five people were killed in just 10 months on a 16-mile stretch of the M1.
Due to the lack of a hard shoulder, drivers who break down on a smart motorway can be trapped in speeding traffic.
There are currently sections of smart motorway on parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M42 and M62.
Image: Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the 18-point action plan to MPs
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday published proposals to "raise the bar" on the safety of smart motorways.
Meera Naran, whose eight-year-old son Dev was killed in 2018 on a section of smart motorway on the M6, was present in parliament as Mr Shapps announced his plans.
"Overall, the evidence shows that in most ways smart motorways are as safe or safer than conventional ones, but they are not in every way," he told MPs.
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"I have therefore developed new measures to further improve safety."
In a written statement to parliament, Mr Shapps added that smart motorways had helped the country cope with a 23% rise in traffic since 2000.
"They save motorists thousands of hours sitting in jams," he wrote.
"They reduce the disruption and environmental destruction which would otherwise be needed to widen our busiest roads.
"Their growth, however, has not always been well explained, there is not uniformity, and concerns exist over safety.
Mr Shapps' action plan includes:
abolishing "dynamic hard shoulder" smart motorways, where the hard shoulder is opened up for flowing traffic during busy periods after concerns they confuse drivers
Highways England to install "stopped vehicle detection" technology within the next 36 months, so vehicles can be detected and lanes closed more quickly;
reducing the distance between areas to stop in an emergency;
an aim to reduce the attendance time of Highways England traffic patrols from an average 17 minutes to 10 minutes;
making emergency areas more visible;
spending £5m on increasing drivers' awareness and understanding of smart motorways;
updating the Highway Code to provide more guidance.
Highways England chief executive Jim O'Sullivan last year told MPs that smart motorways with hard shoulders only used at busy times are "too complicated for people to use" and won't be built in the future.
An RAC survey in November found that just 9% of the more than 17,000 people questioned felt relaxed or safe driving on a smart motorway.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Shapps added in his statement: "Motorists could be better informed about this change in our motorways.
"Many do not know exactly what a smart motorway is, and are not aware of when they are on one or not.
"We need to tackle the public perception of, and public confidence in, the safety of smart motorways as much as the reality."


skynewspolitics--2020-03-11--PM's success won't depend on budget promises but virus response

Budget Day - the moment it all became very real .
Before the markets opened the Bank of England fired a shot in the economic battle against the Coronavirus pandemic with a surprise half percentage point cut in interest rates .
This the first salvo in a coordinated programme between the Bank of England and 11 Downing Street , the new chancellor Rishi Sunak later unveiled a raft of measures in the Budget .
There was targeted help for businesses , individuals and the NHS as the country tries to navigate a public health and economic crisis of a magnitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures for critical times as the economic risk of what could unfold in the coming weeks hit home and the scale of the public health risk hit the heart of government , with health minister Nadine Dorries testing positive for the virus .
Boris Johnson 's government - and parliament - are carrying on as normal for now .
But the scale of the changes coming to all our lives in the next few days ca n't be overestimated .
For the new chancellor it must have been a daunting task , although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been in the job for just under four weeks and had to deliver a Budget against an economic backdrop you can not forecast and public health crisis you can not fully predict .
And so today he offered up two budgets .
First was the Coronavirus action plan .
There was a £12bn stimulus package to counter the economic shock , with £5bn for the NHS and a promise that the health service however many `` millions or billions '' more was required to fight the diseases .
A further £7bn was earmarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business rates would be abolished for a year for small businesses in hard hit sectors and a new loan guarantee scheme .
Tax payments were postponed as the government dished out £3,000 cash grants for small businesses that pay no business rates .
And for workers and those on benefits , more support in accessing sick pay and financial support .
The second budget was the one the Treasury alongside Mr Sunak 's predecessor Sajid Javid had been working on for months : the 'manifesto budget ' designed to sketch out this new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending plans .
The years of Tory austerity were over and the spending taps were turned on , all funded by the biggest rise in borrowing for 30 years .
`` This is the first budget of a new decade .
The first in more than 50 years outside the EU .
And the first of this new government , '' said Mr Sunak .
`` At the election we said we needed to be one nation .
While talent is evenly spread opportunity is not and we need to fix that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our promises to the British people . ''
Hundreds of billions of capital investment for roads , rail and broadband over the next five years .
Billions more for public services too .
Boris Johnson has repeatedly signalled his administration is a break from the past and he was keen to prove that in an economic programme that spoke to Jeremy Corbyn 's observation after the election that Labour had `` won the [ economic ] argument '' at least .
This was a budget borrowed straight from Labour 's playbook in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who redrew the political map in the last general election , is determined to hold onto his new political ground .
This was , as Resolution Foundation chief Torsten Bell wryly observed , a Conservative chancellor outlining plans for a bigger state than under Tony Blair and more borrowing than under Gordon Brown .
And if you were in any doubt over the scale of the Conservative Party reinvention - and economic lurch leftwards - you only had to wait for the old guard on the backbenches to defend the Conservative party 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiscal restraint .
Theresa May spoke for those worried about big public and capital spending as the former prime minister gently admonished the new chancellor .
`` While spending a lot of money may be popular , there is of course that necessity to have a realistic assessment of the longer-term impact of those decisions , '' she said .
`` It is also necessary to have that restraint and caution that enables us to make the public finances continue to be strong in the future . ''
And the former chancellor Sajid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the fiscal rules of the manifesto .
`` Sticking to those rules in normal time is what separates us from the parties opposite , '' he cautioned .
But the five-year programme is a budget drawn up before the coronavirus pandemic changed everything .
The GDP forecasts published on Wednesday are already chronically out of date because they fail to include the expected economic impact of COVID-19 .
The UK could be heading to recession and further stimulus could be required .
It was a budget which aimed to vaccinate the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vision for the next five years .
But ministers know they 're not going to be judged on what happens in five years ' time .
This government will be judged on how it handles this pandemic in the next five days , five weeks , five months .
Mr Johnson wanted to prove to the public that he would honour the promises he made in the election .
But his success will depend not on the promises made in the budget today but the actions he takes to steer us through @ @ @ @ @ @

Budget Day - the moment it all became very real.
Before the markets opened the Bank of England fired a shot in the economic battle against the Coronavirus pandemic with a surprise half percentage point cut in interest rates.
This the first salvo in a coordinated programme between the Bank of England and 11 Downing Street, the new chancellor Rishi Sunak later unveiled a raft of measures in the Budget.
Image: The budget also had to deliver on manifesto promises
There was targeted help for businesses, individuals and the NHS as the country tries to navigate a public health and economic crisis of a magnitude we cannot yet know.
Emergency measures for critical times as the economic risk of what could unfold in the coming weeks hit home and the scale of the public health risk hit the heart of government, with health minister Nadine Dorries testing positive for the virus.
Boris Johnson's government - and parliament - are carrying on as normal for now.
But the scale of the changes coming to all our lives in the next few days can't be overestimated.
For the new chancellor it must have been a daunting task, although he stepped up ably.
He has been in the job for just under four weeks and had to deliver a Budget against an economic backdrop you cannot forecast and public health crisis you cannot fully predict.
Advertisement
And so today he offered up two budgets. First was the Coronavirus action plan.
There was a £12bn stimulus package to counter the economic shock, with £5bn for the NHS and a promise that the health service however many "millions or billions" more was required to fight the diseases.
A further £7bn was earmarked for businesses, as the chancellor announced business rates would be abolished for a year for small businesses in hard hit sectors and a new loan guarantee scheme.
Tax payments were postponed as the government dished out £3,000 cash grants for small businesses that pay no business rates.
And for workers and those on benefits, more support in accessing sick pay and financial support.
The second budget was the one the Treasury alongside Mr Sunak's predecessor Sajid Javid had been working on for months: the 'manifesto budget' designed to sketch out this new government's five-year big investment programme and spending plans.
The years of Tory austerity were over and the spending taps were turned on, all funded by the biggest rise in borrowing for 30 years.
"This is the first budget of a new decade. The first in more than 50 years outside the EU. And the first of this new government," said Mr Sunak.
"At the election we said we needed to be one nation. While talent is evenly spread opportunity is not and we need to fix that. This is a Budget that will deliver on our promises to the British people."
Hundreds of billions of capital investment for roads, rail and broadband over the next five years. Billions more for public services too.
Boris Johnson has repeatedly signalled his administration is a break from the past and he was keen to prove that in an economic programme that spoke to Jeremy Corbyn's observation after the election that Labour had "won the [economic] argument" at least.
This was a budget borrowed straight from Labour's playbook in a sign that the prime minister, who redrew the political map in the last general election, is determined to hold onto his new political ground.
This was, as Resolution Foundation chief Torsten Bell wryly observed, a Conservative chancellor outlining plans for a bigger state than under Tony Blair and more borrowing than under Gordon Brown.
And if you were in any doubt over the scale of the Conservative Party reinvention - and economic lurch leftwards - you only had to wait for the old guard on the backbenches to defend the Conservative party's great tradition of prudent financial management and fiscal restraint.
Theresa May spoke for those worried about big public and capital spending as the former prime minister gently admonished the new chancellor.
"While spending a lot of money may be popular, there is of course that necessity to have a realistic assessment of the longer-term impact of those decisions," she said.
"It is also necessary to have that restraint and caution that enables us to make the public finances continue to be strong in the future."
And the former chancellor Sajid Javid urged this successor to stand firm on the fiscal rules of the manifesto.
"Sticking to those rules in normal time is what separates us from the parties opposite," he cautioned.
But the five-year programme is a budget drawn up before the coronavirus pandemic changed everything.
The GDP forecasts published on Wednesday are already chronically out of date because they fail to include the expected economic impact of COVID-19.
The UK could be heading to recession and further stimulus could be required.
It was a budget which aimed to vaccinate the economy in the short term and set out a vision for the next five years.
Mr Sunak delivered on the task.
But ministers know they're not going to be judged on what happens in five years' time.
This government will be judged on how it handles this pandemic in the next five days, five weeks, five months.
Mr Johnson wanted to prove to the public that he would honour the promises he made in the election.
But his success will depend not on the promises made in the budget today but the actions he takes to steer us through what is about to come.


skynewspolitics--2020-03-11--Cabinet minister self-isolates after contact with MP who has coronavirus

An unnamed cabinet minister has self-isolated after coming into contact with the first MP to test positive for coronavirus .
They have withdrawn from their regular duties while waiting for the results of a test to see if they too have COVID-19 .
It is understood they came into contact with Nadine Dorries - the public health minister who revealed she has the virus - at a 10 Downing Street reception to celebrate International Women 's Day on Thursday .
Another health minister , Edward Argar , and Labour MP Rachael Maskell have also gone into self-isolation .
So far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus have died .
Questions have been raised over whether parliament will be shut given Ms Dorries ' diagnosis , but Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed it will stay open .
He admitted the Commons `` may have to function differently '' but insisted MPs ' ability to create new laws to tackle the outbreak and scrutinise the government was `` vital '' .
`` Our democracy is the foundation of our way of life , '' he said in a statement .
Some staffers remain unhappy , with one telling Sky @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frustration '' and it `` does n't look like anyone is taking any leadership in the Commons '' .
The Liberal Democrats have also cancelled their annual spring conference .
Mark Rack , the party 's president , said the move was taken given `` consideration of the latest health advice '' .
He added : `` We very much want to avoid a situation where people feel unable to particulate in our democratic decision-making because of fears over their health . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @

An unnamed cabinet minister has self-isolated after coming into contact with the first MP to test positive for coronavirus.
They have withdrawn from their regular duties while waiting for the results of a test to see if they too have COVID-19.
It is understood they came into contact with Nadine Dorries - the public health minister who revealed she has the virus - at a 10 Downing Street reception to celebrate International Women's Day on Thursday.
Image: The latest MP to self-isolate did so after coming into contact with Nadine Dorries
Another health minister, Edward Argar, and Labour MP Rachael Maskell have also gone into self-isolation.
So far eight people in the UK who contracted coronavirus have died.
Questions have been raised over whether parliament will be shut given Ms Dorries' diagnosis, but Health Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed it will stay open.
He admitted the Commons "may have to function differently" but insisted MPs' ability to create new laws to tackle the outbreak and scrutinise the government was "vital".
"Our democracy is the foundation of our way of life," he said in a statement.
Image: Eight people in the UK who had coronavirus have died so far
Some staffers remain unhappy, with one telling Sky News the general mood is of "frustration" and it "doesn't look like anyone is taking any leadership in the Commons".
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The Liberal Democrats have also cancelled their annual spring conference.
Mark Rack, the party's president, said the move was taken given "consideration of the latest health advice".
He added: "We very much want to avoid a situation where people feel unable to particulate in our democratic decision-making because of fears over their health."
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