skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Free parking for NHS staff 'cannot continue indefinitely', health minister says

NHS healthcare workers need clarity over the future of free hospital parking after a health minister announced funding for it `` can not continue indefinitely '' , a Liberal Democrat MP has said .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on 25 March that the government would cover the parking costs of NHS staff who were `` going above and beyond every day '' during the coronavirus outbreak in England .
But health minister Edward Argar has since said the government is looking at how long this support will `` need '' to go on .
In response to a written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said : `` The provision of free parking for National Health Service staff by NHS Trusts has not ended and nothing has changed since the announcement on 25 March .
`` However , free parking for staff has only been made possible by support from local authorities and independent providers and this support can not continue indefinitely . ''
Mr Argar said the government wants to make good on its promise of free hospital parking for the disabled , frequent outpatient attendees , and parents of sick children who are staying overnight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Implementation of this commitment has been on hold whilst the NHS has been managing the COVID-19 pandemic and devoting its hospital parking capacity to staff and other facilities necessary for managing the pandemic . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Liberal Democrat leadership candidate Layla Moran has called for clarity and said NHS workers must not be `` saddled with extortionate parking charges '' .
She said : `` Removing parking charges for staff at the outset of COVID-19 was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserved to have certainty that they could get to work without extra charges or hassle .
`` Now the government must provide clarity and ensure our workers are not saddled with extortionate parking charges .
We also need to see more efforts to promote green transport options for our healthcare workers . ''

Ministers have come under pressure over suggestions NHS workers may soon have to pay to park at their own hospitals again.
A Tory peer and doctors' union are among those calling for the exemption brought into force at the start of the coronavirus outbreak to continue.
Healthcare staff were told at the end of March the government would cover their parking fees for "going above and beyond every day" as they tackled COVID-19.
But health minister Edward Argar has now said he is looking at how long the support will "need" to go on.
"The provision of free parking for NHS staff by NHS Trusts has not ended and nothing has changed since the announcement on 25 March," he wrote in response to a question in parliament.
"However, free parking for staff has only been made possible by support from local authorities and independent providers and this support cannot continue indefinitely."
Image: Edward Argar said support for free parking for NHS staff 'cannot continue indefinitely'
Mr Argar said the government wants to make good on its promise of free hospital parking for the disabled, frequent outpatient attendees, and parents of sick children who are staying overnight and night shift workers.
He continued: "Implementation of this commitment has been on hold whilst the NHS has been managing the COVID-19 pandemic and devoting its hospital parking capacity to staff and other facilities necessary for managing the pandemic."
But he is facing calls to keep the existing support for NHS workers in place.
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Baroness Nicky Morgan, a former Tory cabinet minister, told Sky News' Kay Burley@Breakfast: "I'm sure that that is something that will have to be looked at again.
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"It does seem very strange given how hard our NHS and care workers have worked over the last few months."
She added that as a backbencher, "that's a decision that I'm not involved with".
Alex Flynn, chief of staff of the British Medical Association, also tweeted: "From clap for carers, to clamp for carers the government needs to think again. Keep it free like Wales and most of Scotland."
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has called for clarity and insisted NHS workers must not be "saddled with extortionate parking charges".
She said: "Removing parking charges for staff at the outset of COVID-19 was the right move. Our healthcare workers deserved to have certainty that they could get to work without extra charges or hassle.
"Now the government must provide clarity and ensure our workers are not saddled with extortionate parking charges. We also need to see more efforts to promote green transport options for our healthcare workers."


skynewspolitics--2020-07-07--Portugal in talks with UK over travel quarantine exemption

Portugal is in talks with the British government over its exclusion from a list of countries exempt from the coronavirus travel quarantine .
The country 's prime minister , Antonio Costa , said : `` The foreign minister had a long conversation with his counterpart .
`` It is very important we build a confident relationship . ''
Last week , the government unveiled a list of more than 70 countries which holidaymakers can visit without having to self-isolate for 14 days on their return to England .
Portugal was not among them , a decision Lisbon called `` absurd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted a graph appearing to show the UK had a much higher number of cases per 100,000 people than the Algarve .
The Portuguese PM added : `` Which is the safest place to stay ?
You are welcome to spend a safe holiday in Algarve !
# UK # visitportugal . ''
Exemptions from quarantine will apply from 10 July .
Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The Department for Transport said the approved destinations pose `` a reduced risk to the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the list will be kept `` under constant review '' .
The full list is as follows :

Portugal is in talks with the British government over its exclusion from a list of countries exempt from the coronavirus travel quarantine.
The country's prime minister, Antonio Costa, said: "The foreign minister had a long conversation with his counterpart.
"It is very important we build a confident relationship."
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Last week, the government unveiled a list of more than 70 countries which holidaymakers can visit without having to self-isolate for 14 days on their return to England.
Portugal was not among them, a decision Lisbon called "absurd".
On Friday, Mr Costa tweeted a graph appearing to show the UK had a much higher number of cases per 100,000 people than the Algarve.
The Portuguese PM added: "Which is the safest place to stay? You are welcome to spend a safe holiday in Algarve! #UK #visitportugal."
Exemptions from quarantine will apply from 10 July.
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The Department for Transport said the approved destinations pose "a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens", but the list will be kept "under constant review".
The full list is as follows:


skynewspolitics--2020-07-07--'Slap in the face': PM resists calls to apologise for care home comments

Downing Street has resisted calls for Boris Johnson to apologise for claiming some care workers `` did n't really follow the procedures '' during the coronavirus outbreak .
The comments were branded `` a real slap in the face '' and `` clumsy and cowardly '' by medics and campaigners - and the prime minister is facing calls to retract them .
Number 10 has stuck by the statement , made in response to a call from the head of NHS England to adequately fund the adult social care sector within a year .
`` We discovered too many care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the way that they could have , '' Mr Johnson said on a visit to Goole , Yorkshire , on Monday .
A government spokesperson clarified later that day he had been pointing out `` nobody knew what the correct procedures were '' because the amount of people with no COVID-19 symptoms transmitting the virus was unknown .
Mr Johnson 's spokesman , asked during a Westminster briefing on Tuesday if he would apologise , said : `` The PM thinks that throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth claimed care workers had been left `` insulted '' and `` hurt '' , called for an apology and challenged the government to explain which care homes did n't follow which procedures .
Sir Keir Starmer , the Labour leader , said : `` At least 20,000 people have died from COVID-19 in care homes .
Residents went without tests .
Staff were left without PPE .
And all after a decade of cuts to social care .
`` Shameful of Boris Johnson for trying to blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Matt Hancock , the health secretary , declined to publicly criticise the original statement .
`` Throughout this crisis , care homes have done amazing work , '' he told the House of Commons on Tuesday .
`` The prime minister was explaining , because asymptomatic-type transmission was not known , the correct procedures were therefore not known .
`` We 've been constantly learning about this virus from the start and improving procedures all the way through . ''
And the business secretary stuck to the same script when he spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Breakfast earlier on .
Alok Sharma said he `` noted '' the criticism of Mr Johnson but insisted `` nobody knew what the correct procedures were at the time '' .
But voices from outside government have been highly critical .
Nadra Ahmed , the chair of the National Care Association , told Sky News : `` I 'm absolutely stunned the prime minister thought it was appropriate for him to make that comment and I think he should retract that comment and apologise . ''
Vic Rayner , executive director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care homes across the country were dealing with an extraordinary amount of different guidance that was coming out from government on an almost daily basis .
`` So for the suggestion that they were not following procedures as laid out is totally inappropriate and , frankly , hugely insulting . ''
The Independent Care Group 's chairman Mike Padgham said it was `` upsetting '' to hear Mr Johnson 's comments and described them as `` a real slap in the face for those workers after they have given and sacrificed so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at best - was clumsy and cowardly , '' he continued .
`` But , to be honest with you , if this is genuinely his view , I think we 're almost entering a Kafkaesque alternative reality where the government set the rules ; we follow them ; they do n't like the results ; and they then deny setting the rules and blame the people that were trying to do their best .

Downing Street has resisted calls for Boris Johnson to apologise for claiming some care workers "didn't really follow the procedures" during the coronavirus outbreak.
The comments were branded "a real slap in the face" and "clumsy and cowardly" by medics and campaigners - and the prime minister is facing calls to retract them.
Number 10 has stuck by the statement, made in response to a call from the head of NHS England to adequately fund the adult social care sector within a year.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:40 'Too many care homes didn't follow procedures'
"We discovered too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have," Mr Johnson said on a visit to Goole, Yorkshire, on Monday.
A government spokesperson clarified later that day he had been pointing out "nobody knew what the correct procedures were" because the amount of people with no COVID-19 symptoms transmitting the virus was unknown.
Mr Johnson's spokesman, asked during a Westminster briefing on Tuesday if he would apologise, said: "The PM thinks that throughout the pandemic care homes have done a brilliant job under very difficult circumstances."
Labour's shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth claimed care workers had been left "insulted" and "hurt", called for an apology and challenged the government to explain which care homes didn't follow which procedures.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said: "At least 20,000 people have died from COVID-19 in care homes. Residents went without tests. Staff were left without PPE. And all after a decade of cuts to social care.
"Shameful of Boris Johnson for trying to blame others for his government's failures."
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:54 'You have let them down': Care homes owner blasts PM
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, declined to publicly criticise the original statement.
"Throughout this crisis, care homes have done amazing work," he told the House of Commons on Tuesday.
"The prime minister was explaining, because asymptomatic-type transmission was not known, the correct procedures were therefore not known.
"We've been constantly learning about this virus from the start and improving procedures all the way through."
And the business secretary stuck to the same script when he spoke to Sky News' Kay Burley@Breakfast earlier on.
Alok Sharma said he "noted" the criticism of Mr Johnson but insisted "nobody knew what the correct procedures were at the time".
Image: Health Secretary Matt Hancock MP
But voices from outside government have been highly critical.
Nadra Ahmed, the chair of the National Care Association, told Sky News: "I'm absolutely stunned the prime minister thought it was appropriate for him to make that comment and I think he should retract that comment and apologise."
Vic Rayner, executive director of the National Care Forum, said: "Care homes across the country were dealing with an extraordinary amount of different guidance that was coming out from government on an almost daily basis.
"So for the suggestion that they were not following procedures as laid out is totally inappropriate and, frankly, hugely insulting."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 22:43 Special report: The killer in our care homes
Mark Adams, CEO of the Community Integrated Care charity, said it was "upsetting" to hear Mr Johnson's comments and described them as "a real slap in the face for those workers after they have given and sacrificed so much".
"I think this - at best - was clumsy and cowardly," he continued.
"But, to be honest with you, if this is genuinely his view, I think we're almost entering a Kafkaesque alternative reality where the government set the rules; we follow them; they don't like the results; and they then deny setting the rules and blame the people that were trying to do their best.
"It is hugely frustrating."


skynewspolitics--2020-07-07--Workers offered regular coronavirus tests will not face increased tax bill

Workers offered regular coronavirus tests by their employers will not face an increased tax bill , the Treasury has confirmed .
The move comes after former cabinet minister Mel Stride , now the chair of the House of Commons Treasury committee , wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to urge him to look into the matter .
Mr Stride noted how HMRC guidance published earlier this week stated that COVID-19 testing kits - or tests carried out by a third party - which have been purchased by employers for their staff are treated as a taxable benefit in kind for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key workers could be faced with the `` perverse incentive of avoiding employer-sponsored tests in order to reduce their tax bill '' .
The Treasury has now confirmed to Sky News that it will introduce an income tax exemption for the tests .
`` Given the importance of widespread testing , we want to ensure that all employers who wish to provide third party testing to their employees can do so without increasing their tax liability , '' a spokesperson said .
`` So we will introduce a new income tax exemption for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` HMRC will amend their guidance as soon as possible to reflect this change . ''
Benefits in kind are benefits that employees receive from their employers that are not included in their salary .
A cash value is assigned to taxable benefits in kind , and employees pay income tax on this amount through Pay As You Earn ( PAYE ) .
In his letter to the chancellor , Mr Stride wrote : `` Given that many employers will require these tests on a regular basis , especially in health care settings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as hospitality ) , the tax bills could soon mount up and this does not seem to be a helpful policy at this time . ''
Mr Stride also warned Mr Sunak that the policy `` risks deterring workers from taking employer-sponsored tests '' .
`` Many of those affected will be in front line jobs in hospitals and other similar settings , and it seems wrong that a disproportionate tax burden should fall on them at this time , '' he added .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Spreaker Mr Stride , who worked in the Treasury under former prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May , urged the chancellor to `` look into this matter as soon as possible '' .
Anyone in England and Wales who has symptoms of coronavirus , whatever their age , can get a free test through the NHS .
In Scotland and Northern Ireland , you can only get a test for your child if they are aged five or over .

Workers offered regular coronavirus tests by their employers will not face an increased tax bill, the Treasury has confirmed.
The move comes after former cabinet minister Mel Stride, now the chair of the House of Commons Treasury committee, wrote to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to urge him to look into the matter.
Mr Stride noted how HMRC guidance published earlier this week stated that COVID-19 testing kits - or tests carried out by a third party - which have been purchased by employers for their staff are treated as a taxable benefit in kind for the employee.
Image: Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been urged to 'look into this matter as soon as possible'
The Tory MP warned many key workers could be faced with the "perverse incentive of avoiding employer-sponsored tests in order to reduce their tax bill".
The Treasury has now confirmed to Sky News that it will introduce an income tax exemption for the tests.
"Given the importance of widespread testing, we want to ensure that all employers who wish to provide third party testing to their employees can do so without increasing their tax liability," a spokesperson said.
"So we will introduce a new income tax exemption for COVID-19 antigen tests provided by employers.
"HMRC will amend their guidance as soon as possible to reflect this change."
Benefits in kind are benefits that employees receive from their employers that are not included in their salary.
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A cash value is assigned to taxable benefits in kind, and employees pay income tax on this amount through Pay As You Earn (PAYE).
In his letter to the chancellor, Mr Stride wrote: "Given that many employers will require these tests on a regular basis, especially in health care settings but also in many other industries (such as hospitality), the tax bills could soon mount up and this does not seem to be a helpful policy at this time."
Mr Stride also warned Mr Sunak that the policy "risks deterring workers from taking employer-sponsored tests".
"Many of those affected will be in front line jobs in hospitals and other similar settings, and it seems wrong that a disproportionate tax burden should fall on them at this time," he added.
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Mr Stride, who worked in the Treasury under former prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May, urged the chancellor to "look into this matter as soon as possible".
Anyone in England and Wales who has symptoms of coronavirus, whatever their age, can get a free test through the NHS.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can only get a test for your child if they are aged five or over.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-07--'Wake-up call' as report shows scale of BAME under-representation in local government

Ethnic under-representation in local government is `` perpetuating racial inequality and disadvantage '' in the UK , according to a report .
New data shared with Sky News shows only 7 % of all UK councillors are from a black , Asian or minority ethnic ( BAME ) background , which is half the percentage BAME people make up of the country 's overall population ( 14 % ) .
The report , by Professor Maria Sobolewska and Dr Neema Begum from the University of Manchester , highlights for the first time the scale of under-representation in councils , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resources .
Unlike previous reports , they logged the percentage of people from an ethnic minority on each council across the whole of the UK .
The report says under-representation at this level - where decisions are made on where money is spent - `` creates a potential for perpetuating and reinforcing racial inequality and disadvantage '' .
There are 20,143 dots here , one for each councillor elected in the UK in 2019 .
7 % of them come from an ethnic minority background , but the proportion should be 14 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This visualisation compares the number of BAME councillors per ethnic group ( bottom part ) with the additional number needed to be representative ( shaded top area ) .
People who are from an Asian background account for 5 % of local councillors , but they make around 7 % of the country 's population .
Around 1 % of the councillors are black , but black people make up 3 % of the UK population .
And less than 1 % of councillors come fromMixed or Other ethnic groups , compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are 526 BAME women .
That is a third of all BAME councillors and is not representative of the proportion of BAME women in the UK .
In total , 34 % of the councillors are women , compared to 51 % of the population .
Researchers logged the percentage of people from an ethnic minority on each council and it showed metropolitan councils - home to some of the UK 's largest BAME populations - are more likely to be more diverse .
But even many of these under-represent the communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Westminster councillors are from a minority ethnic background , compared with 38 % of the population .
Brighton and Hove has a disparity of 11 percentage points , as does Manchester , where the ethnic minority population is also under-represented .
Professor Sobolewska told Sky News : `` If communities are excluded from that decision process , they have much less say over crucial decisions like quality of life things , such as transport , planning and education .
`` I genuinely believe it perpetuates a lot of the racial disadvantages that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19 having a disproportionate effect on the BAME communities , partly that is within the remit of local government . ''
There are places where black , Asian or minority ethnic people are over-represented by local government , such as Hounslow , Slough and Oldham , but this is rare - and that 's played a key role in long-standing inequalities .
Lord Simon Woolley from Operation Black Vote , which has been campaigning for greater representation in politics for 25 years , told Sky News : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call because right now communities feel like these institutions do n't belong to us , our voices are not heard .
`` What we have to understand is at a local level you can really drill down into some of the inequalities . ''
He added : `` Some of the critical decisions about local communities are dealt with at a local level - education , housing health - all of these factors bring our communities together for community cohesion .
If you do not have representative democracy at a local level , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Historically , the Labour Party has attracted the lion 's share of ethnic minority voters , as well as having greater ethnic minority representation .
Over the years , the Conservative Party has increased its share of ethnic minority MPs - but this progress has not been replicated at local level and the majority of ethnic minority local councillors in England represent Labour .
Professor Sobolewska said : `` The most striking thing is the areas that are extremely diverse are so under-represented .
`` And even though the vast majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Labour Party , in areas like Manchester , they 're not really operating to try and broaden their appeal .
`` They 're sitting very comfortably because they are already very secure in their vote . ''
The next steps of the research will look into why this is an issue .
It 's understanding whether fewer candidates come forward , or whether parties and/or voters discriminate .
Having answers to these questions is crucial as councils are where power is closest to the people .

Ethnic under-representation in local government is "perpetuating racial inequality and disadvantage" in the UK, according to a report.
New data shared with Sky News shows only 7% of all UK councillors are from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background, which is half the percentage BAME people make up of the country's overall population (14%).
The report, by Professor Maria Sobolewska and Dr Neema Begum from the University of Manchester, highlights for the first time the scale of under-representation in councils, which have greater immediate power and control over resources.
Unlike previous reports, they logged the percentage of people from an ethnic minority on each council across the whole of the UK.
The report says under-representation at this level - where decisions are made on where money is spent - "creates a potential for perpetuating and reinforcing racial inequality and disadvantage".
There are 20,143 dots here, one for each councillor elected in the UK in 2019. 7% of them come from an ethnic minority background, but the proportion should be 14% to be representative for the whole population. This visualisation compares the number of BAME councillors per ethnic group (bottom part) with the additional number needed to be representative (shaded top area). People who are from an Asian background account for 5% of local councillors, but they make around 7% of the country's population. Around 1% of the councillors are black, but black people make up 3% of the UK population. And less than 1% of councillors come fromMixed or Other ethnic groups, compared to 3% across the country. There are 526 BAME women. That is a third of all BAME councillors and is not representative of the proportion of BAME women in the UK. In total, 34% of the councillors are women, compared to 51% of the population.
Researchers logged the percentage of people from an ethnic minority on each council and it showed metropolitan councils - home to some of the UK's largest BAME populations - are more likely to be more diverse.
But even many of these under-represent the communities who live there.
Only 13% of Westminster councillors are from a minority ethnic background, compared with 38% of the population.
Brighton and Hove has a disparity of 11 percentage points, as does Manchester, where the ethnic minority population is also under-represented.
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Professor Sobolewska told Sky News: "If communities are excluded from that decision process, they have much less say over crucial decisions like quality of life things, such as transport, planning and education.
"I genuinely believe it perpetuates a lot of the racial disadvantages that we are talking about now because of the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19 having a disproportionate effect on the BAME communities, partly that is within the remit of local government."
There are places where black, Asian or minority ethnic people are over-represented by local government, such as Hounslow, Slough and Oldham, but this is rare - and that's played a key role in long-standing inequalities.
Lord Simon Woolley from Operation Black Vote, which has been campaigning for greater representation in politics for 25 years, told Sky News: "I hope this is a wake-up call because right now communities feel like these institutions don't belong to us, our voices are not heard.
"What we have to understand is at a local level you can really drill down into some of the inequalities."
He added: "Some of the critical decisions about local communities are dealt with at a local level - education, housing, health - all of these factors bring our communities together for community cohesion. If you do not have representative democracy at a local level, these issues are not equitably dealt with."
Historically, the Labour Party has attracted the lion's share of ethnic minority voters, as well as having greater ethnic minority representation.
Over the years, the Conservative Party has increased its share of ethnic minority MPs - but this progress has not been replicated at local level and the majority of ethnic minority local councillors in England represent Labour.
Image: Manchester Council is one of those with an under-representation of BAME councillors compared with its population
Professor Sobolewska said: "The most striking thing is the areas that are extremely diverse are so under-represented.
"And even though the vast majority of BAME councillors for local government are from the Labour Party, in areas like Manchester, they're not really operating to try and broaden their appeal.
"They're sitting very comfortably because they are already very secure in their vote."
The next steps of the research will look into why this is an issue.
It is about understanding whether fewer candidates come forward, or whether parties and/or voters discriminate. Having answers to these questions is crucial as councils are where power is closest to the people.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-07--Seven things to watch out for in Sunak's stimulus statement

Coronavirus : Seven things to watch out for in Sunak 's stimulus statement Coronavirus : Seven things to watch out for in Sunak 's stimulus statement Sunak 's statement will have jobs at the heart of it Over the past few months , millions of us have been directly affected by the unprecedented coronavirus support schemes unleashed by the Treasury .
Now , as the COVID-19 lockdown is eased and Britain attempts to return to some form of normality , Number 11 is preparing another round of measures to stimulate the economy .
So what should we expect and look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are seven key things to bear in mind .
1 .
It is not a 'fiscal event' The Treasury is very keen to emphasise this point - perhaps because speculation has grown and grown about the scale of the thing .
In the past couple of weeks there have been all sorts of stories about possible measures in the papers - everything from VAT cuts to stamp duty holidays .
Now , it 's not out of the question we get some measures along those lines , but the Treasury wants to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What does it mean in practice that it 's not a `` fiscal event '' ?
It means that there wo n't be the usual bits and pieces that go alongside Budgets and Autumn Statements - formal economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility , crucial decisions about duties and rates .
Just a document from the Treasury with as much or as little detail as they choose to give us about its schemes .
2 .
It will have jobs at the heart of it This is likely to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - most likely since the 1990s or even the 1980s .
So , much of the chancellor 's focus will be on attempting to safeguard jobs .
Expect to hear about schemes to keep people in work , schemes to help boost skills and get youngsters into work ( after all , youth unemployment is likely to rise even faster than the overall figure ) .
One of those measure we now know about is a new `` Kickstart '' scheme , in which the government will help finance work placements for young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
3 .
The high street will feature too One question worrying the Treasury is whether people will indeed flock back to shops , pubs and restaurants as lockdown is eased .
The early evidence suggests many people remain nervous about going out and spending .
So expect further measures from the Treasury to try to encourage spending : perhaps a voucher scheme to incentivise restaurant bookings , perhaps tax breaks for shops or indeed the hospitality industry .
The prime minister confirmed the other day that there will be more money spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit earlier ) on schools , roads and hospitals .
The chancellor has also put a further £3bn towards home insulation and other green projects .
Expect more on infrastructure alongside this - after all , the government is hoping that a big boost in infrastructure spending kills two birds with one stone : both providing jobs for those who are out of work and boosting economic growth .
Indeed , the prime minister even said the other day that such schemes should lift productivity which in turn will generate extra tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five ...
These measures will all cost a lot of money .
And pile that on top of the hundreds of billions of pounds it is already expecting to borrow this year and pretty soon you 're talking about an eye-watering amount of government debt .
Is this the moment to start thinking about how we pay it off ?
In short , no .
Do n't expect all that much from the chancellor about future tax rises or spending cuts to finance this .
He and the Treasury have half an eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for later in the year , or perhaps even next year .
: : Listen to the The World Tomorrow on Apple podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker 6 .
This is only Act Two To use a theatrical analogy , try to think of the big economic interventions this year in terms of three acts .
Act One was the emergency measures early on in the crisis : the Budget , the furlough schemes , the loan guarantees for companies and so on .
This week will bring Act Two , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he can stimulate the economy out of lockdown .
But the Treasury is at pains to emphasise that this will probably all pale into comparison with Act Three , which we can expect later on this year in the form of the Autumn Statement : a full `` fiscal event '' with changes to tax , spending and even an economic forecast for the coming years .
Whether it will be any more reliable than the one in the last Budget will remain to be seen .
There is nothing new about tension @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street .
Typically the prime minister likes to spend money and the chancellor likes to keep spending in check .
And that dynamic is again bubbling beneath the surface .
While the PM would rather like the Treasury to throw everything they 've got at the economy , the attitude on Horse Guards Road is characteristically tentative .
After all , it still is n't sure how consumers will react to the end of lockdown .
So to some extent officials have been keen to keep their powder dry .
There will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real litmus test of this event is how many rabbits the chancellor can pull out of his hat without actually spending too much money .

Sky's economics editor asks what COVID-19 crisis medicine the Chancellor can dispense in his statement to MPs.
Coronavirus: Seven things to watch out for in Sunak's stimulus statement
Sunak's statement will have jobs at the heart of it
Over the past few months, millions of us have been directly affected by the unprecedented coronavirus support schemes unleashed by the Treasury.
Now, as the COVID-19 lockdown is eased and Britain attempts to return to some form of normality, Number 11 is preparing another round of measures to stimulate the economy.
So what should we expect and look out for from the chancellor? Here are seven key things to bear in mind.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:01 What the IFS expects in Sunak statement
1. It is not a 'fiscal event'
The Treasury is very keen to emphasise this point - perhaps because speculation has grown and grown about the scale of the thing.
In the past couple of weeks there have been all sorts of stories about possible measures in the papers - everything from VAT cuts to stamp duty holidays.
Now, it's not out of the question we get some measures along those lines, but the Treasury wants to ensure people don't get carried away.
What does it mean in practice that it's not a "fiscal event"?
It means that there won't be the usual bits and pieces that go alongside Budgets and Autumn Statements - formal economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility, crucial decisions about duties and rates. Just a document from the Treasury with as much or as little detail as they choose to give us about its schemes.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:26 'Abandon one size fits all approach'
2. It will have jobs at the heart of it
This is likely to be the worst period for UK unemployment in decades - most likely since the 1990s or even the 1980s.
So, much of the chancellor's focus will be on attempting to safeguard jobs.
Expect to hear about schemes to keep people in work, schemes to help boost skills and get youngsters into work (after all, youth unemployment is likely to rise even faster than the overall figure).
One of those measure we now know about is a new "Kickstart" scheme, in which the government will help finance work placements for young people just out of school and university.
3. The high street will feature too
One question worrying the Treasury is whether people will indeed flock back to shops, pubs and restaurants as lockdown is eased.
The early evidence suggests many people remain nervous about going out and spending.
So expect further measures from the Treasury to try to encourage spending: perhaps a voucher scheme to incentivise restaurant bookings, perhaps tax breaks for shops or indeed the hospitality industry.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:18 £3bn green fund part of coronavirus recovery
4. Lots about shovel-ready projects
The prime minister confirmed the other day that there will be more money spent (well, actually already-pledged money spent a bit earlier) on schools, roads and hospitals.
The chancellor has also put a further £3bn towards home insulation and other green projects.
Expect more on infrastructure alongside this - after all, the government is hoping that a big boost in infrastructure spending kills two birds with one stone: both providing jobs for those who are out of work and boosting economic growth.
Indeed, the prime minister even said the other day that such schemes should lift productivity which in turn will generate extra tax revenue. Which brings us to number five...
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:37 Krugman: Relax and don't worry about the debt
5. Debt, debt, debt
These measures will all cost a lot of money. And pile that on top of the hundreds of billions of pounds it is already expecting to borrow this year and pretty soon you're talking about an eye-watering amount of government debt.
Is this the moment to start thinking about how we pay it off? In short, no.
Don't expect all that much from the chancellor about future tax rises or spending cuts to finance this. He and the Treasury have half an eye on that, but may save that for later in the year, or perhaps even next year.
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6. This is only Act Two
To use a theatrical analogy, try to think of the big economic interventions this year in terms of three acts.
Act One was the emergency measures early on in the crisis: the Budget, the furlough schemes, the loan guarantees for companies and so on.
This week will bring Act Two, in which the chancellor begins to sketch out how he can stimulate the economy out of lockdown.
But the Treasury is at pains to emphasise that this will probably all pale into comparison with Act Three, which we can expect later on this year in the form of the Autumn Statement: a full "fiscal event" with changes to tax, spending and even an economic forecast for the coming years.
Whether it will be any more reliable than the one in the last Budget will remain to be seen.
Image: Rishi Sunak will want to help hospitality and retail without spending too much money
7. Don't forget the politics
There is nothing new about tension between Number 10 and Number 11 Downing Street. Typically the prime minister likes to spend money and the chancellor likes to keep spending in check.
And that dynamic is again bubbling beneath the surface.
While the PM would rather like the Treasury to throw everything they've got at the economy, the attitude on Horse Guards Road is characteristically tentative.
After all, it still isn't sure how consumers will react to the end of lockdown. So to some extent officials have been keen to keep their powder dry.
There will be eye-catching policies but to some extent the real litmus test of this event is how many rabbits the chancellor can pull out of his hat without actually spending too much money.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-07--UK to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia

UK to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia

The UK government will resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia after a High Court ruling put a temporary suspension on exports last year .
An internal government review into the use of weapons by Saudi Arabia in Yemen has concluded that breaches of international humanitarian law ( IHL ) were just `` isolated incidents '' .
The move was quietly announced in a written statement to parliament by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss .
It came less than 24 hours after the government announced human rights sanctions against 20 senior Saudi regime officials for having `` blood on their hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is not a clear risk that the export of arms and military equipment to Saudi Arabia might be used in the commission of a serious violation of IHL , '' Ms Truss said in the statement .
`` The government will now begin the process of clearing the backlog of licence applications for Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners that has built up since 20 June last year . ''
The UK is one of the biggest arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia and has sold in excess of £5bn of weapons to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started in 2015 .
The news was quickly condemned by opposition MPs .
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said she was `` lost for words '' .
`` How the foreign secretary can say on one day that the UK will act as a force for good in the world , standing up for human rights , and then on the next , agree to this moral outrage , is just unbelievable , '' she said .
Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trade , said they were considering legal action .
`` This is a disgraceful and morally bankrupt decision , '' he said .
`` The Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen has created the world 's worst humanitarian crisis , and the government itself admits that UK-made arms have played a central role on the bombing . ''
Last week , the UN 's under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs told Sky News that Yemen was facing `` the darkest moment I have ever seen . ''
Two million children under the age of five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of them , about 325,000 have severe , acute malnutrition .

The UK government will resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia after a High Court ruling put a temporary suspension on exports last year.
An internal government review into the use of weapons by Saudi Arabia in Yemen has concluded that breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) were just "isolated incidents".
The move was quietly announced in a written statement to parliament by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:30 UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia 'unlawful'
It came less than 24 hours after the government announced human rights sanctions against 20 senior Saudi regime officials for having "blood on their hands".
"I have assessed that there is not a clear risk that the export of arms and military equipment to Saudi Arabia might be used in the commission of a serious violation of IHL," Ms Truss said in the statement.
"The government will now begin the process of clearing the backlog of licence applications for Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners that has built up since 20 June last year."
The UK is one of the biggest arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia and has sold in excess of £5bn of weapons to the kingdom since the bombing of Yemen started in 2015.
The news was quickly condemned by opposition MPs.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said she was "lost for words".
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"How the foreign secretary can say on one day that the UK will act as a force for good in the world, standing up for human rights, and then on the next, agree to this moral outrage, is just unbelievable," she said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:28 Foreign secretary will not be drawn on Saudi and Khashoggi
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Andrew Smith, from Campaign Against the Arms Trade, said they were considering legal action.
"This is a disgraceful and morally bankrupt decision," he said.
"The Saudi-led bombardment of Yemen has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and the government itself admits that UK-made arms have played a central role on the bombing."
Last week, the UN's under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs told Sky News that Yemen was facing "the darkest moment I have ever seen."
Two million children under the age of five in Yemen are believed to be malnourished. Of them, about 325,000 have severe, acute malnutrition.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Key points as Sunak pledges £1,000 for each furloughed employee brought back to work

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a `` plan for jobs '' to stimulate Britain 's battered economy .
Here are the key points : • In August , everyone in the country will be given an `` eat out to help out '' discount - 50 % off up to a maximum discount of £10 per head at participating restaurants , cafes and pubs from Monday to Wednesday • Businesses can claim the money back , with funds in their bank account within five working days • The scheme , described as the first of its kind , is designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people • VAT on food , accommodation and attractions will be cut for the next six months from 20 % to 5 % - a `` £4bn catalyst '' for the sector designed to protect 2.4 million jobs • The cut - from next Wednesday until 12 January - covers food from restaurants , cafes and pubs , accommodation in hotels , B & Bs and caravan sites , and attractions such as cinemas , theme parks and zoos • The threshold for paying stamp duty will be raised temporarily from £125,000 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the average stamp duty bill falling by £4,500 • The measure , designed to boost confidence in the housing market after a slump in transactions , is expected to mean nearly nine out of ten people buying a main home this year paying no duty at all • Jobs retention bonus will reward employers who bring back workers from furlough with £1,000 per employee - it will cost £9bn if all 9 million of those temporarily laid off come back to work • Government 's furlough scheme `` can not and should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will wind down through to October • £1.2bn pledged to Department for Work and Pensions `` to support millions of people back to work '' • Firms will be paid £1,000 to take on trainees , with £100m pledged to fund places in high-demand sectors such as engineering , construction and social care • £2bn made available for `` Kickstart '' scheme for young people - and no cap on the number of places available • Kickstart scheme will pay employers to create new jobs for hundreds of thousands of 16-24 year olds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum of 25 hours per week paid at at least the national minimum wage • Green measures totalling £3bn aim to make 650,000 homes more energy efficient , save households £300 a year on bills and support 140,000 jobs • £1bn of funding to improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings • A £2bn green homes grant will deliver vouchers to homeowners and landlords to make their homes more energy efficient

Coronavirus: Key points of government plan to revive economy
All the key points as the Chancellor sets out measures aimed at reviving the economy from its coronavirus slump.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Eating out discount, stamp duty cut and bonuses for firms - Sunak acts to kickstart economy

Britons eating out will get discounted food , house buyers will pay less stamp duty and companies will get bonuses for retaining workers under the chancellor 's plans to kickstart the UK economy .
In his summer economic update to the House of Commons , Rishi Sunak warned the UK is facing `` profound economic challenges '' as a result of the coronavirus crisis .
But he vowed to turn the UK 's national recovery `` into millions of stories of personal renewal '' as he unveiled a £30bn package of measures to MPs .
• a £1,000 bonus for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ furlough and employ through to January next year ; • a `` kickstart scheme '' to directly pay firms to create jobs for 16 to 24-year-olds ; • cash for businesses to take on trainees and apprentices ; • an eight-month temporary cut in stamp duty , with no charge on property transactions below £500,000 ; • a cut in VAT on food , accommodation and attractions from 20 % to 5 % until 12 January ; • an `` Eat Out to Help Out '' discount of up to £10 per head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cafes and pubs ; After announcing what he dubbed a `` plan for jobs '' , Mr Sunak told the Commons : `` We will not be defined by this crisis , but by our response to it .
`` It is an unambiguous choice to make this moment meaningful for our country in a way that transcends the frustration and loss of recent months .
`` It is a plan to turn our national recovery into millions of stories of personal renewal . ''
Announcing an immediate cut to stamp duty , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , Mr Sunak revealed he was lifting the threshold on paying stamp duty from , currently , property transactions above £125,000 to transactions above £500,000 .
He told MPs : `` The average stamp duty bill will fall by £4,500 .
And nearly nine out of 10 people buying a main home this year , will pay no stamp duty at all . ''
And , saying he is ready to `` act with a plan for jobs '' , Mr Sunak also announced he will pay companies £1,000 for each employee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs retention scheme , which has supported more than nine million workers .
He said the scheme could cost around £9bn if every furloughed employee was retained by their firms , telling company bosses : `` If you stand by your workers , we will stand by you . ''
Announcing the bonus scheme , the chancellor said : `` If you 're an employer and you bring back someone who was furloughed - and continuously employ them through to January - we 'll pay you a £1,000 bonus per employee .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returning for the sake of it - they need to be doing decent work .
`` So for businesses to get the bonus , the employee must be paid at least £520 on average , in each month from November to the end of January - the equivalent of the lower earnings limit in national insurance . ''
In what has been described as a `` mini-Budget '' , the chancellor presented plans to get pubs , restaurants , cafes and B & Bs `` bustling again '' .
For the next six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January , Mr Sunak will cut VAT from 20 % to 5 % on food from restaurants , cafes and pubs , accommodation in hotels , B & Bs , campsites and caravan sits , and attractions such as cinemas , theme parks and zoos .

Britons eating out will get discounted food, house buyers will pay less stamp duty and companies will get bonuses for retaining workers under the chancellor's plans to kickstart the UK economy.
In his summer economic update to the House of Commons, Rishi Sunak warned the UK is facing "profound economic challenges" as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
The chancellor admitted Britons are anxious about losing their jobs and rising unemployment, with the UK economy having shrunk 25% in just two months - the same amount it grew in the previous 18 years.
Image: Britons will receive discounts on eating out under the chancellor's plans
But Mr Sunak told MPs: "We're not just going to accept this. People need to know we will do all we can to give everyone the opportunity of good and secure work.
"People need to know that although hardship lies ahead, no one will be left without hope."
He vowed to turn the UK's national recovery "into millions of stories of personal renewal" as he unveiled a £30bn package of measures.
These include:
A £1,000 bonus for each worker that companies bring back from furlough and employ through to January next year;
A "kickstart scheme" to directly pay firms to create jobs for 16 to 24-year-olds;
Cash for businesses to take on trainees and apprentices;
An eight-month temporary cut in stamp duty, with no charge on property transactions below £500,000;
A cut in VAT on food, accommodation and attractions from 20% to 5% until 12 January;
An "Eat Out to Help Out" discount of up to £10 per head to get Britons back to restaurants, cafes and pubs.
After announcing what he dubbed a "plan for jobs", Mr Sunak told the Commons: "We will not be defined by this crisis, but by our response to it.
"It is an unambiguous choice to make this moment meaningful for our country in a way that transcends the frustration and loss of recent months.
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"It is a plan to turn our national recovery into millions of stories of personal renewal."
Image: House buyers have seen stamp duty cut until March next year
In his announcement of an immediate cut to stamp duty, which will last until 31 March next year, Mr Sunak revealed he was lifting the threshold on paying stamp duty from - currently - property transactions above £125,000 to transactions above £500,000.
He told MPs: "The average stamp duty bill will fall by £4,500. And nearly nine out of 10 people buying a main home this year, will pay no stamp duty at all."
And, saying he is ready to "act with a plan for jobs", Mr Sunak also announced he will pay companies £1,000 for each employee they bring back from the government's jobs retention scheme, which has supported more than nine million workers but is due to end in October.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:12 Sunak explains 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme
He said the new bonus scheme could cost around £9bn if every furloughed employee was retained by their firms, telling company bosses: "If you stand by your workers, we will stand by you."
The chancellor added: "If you're an employer and you bring back someone who was furloughed - and continuously employ them through to January - we'll pay you a £1,000 bonus per employee.
"It's vital people aren't just returning for the sake of it - they need to be doing decent work.
"So for businesses to get the bonus, the employee must be paid at least £520 on average, in each month from November to the end of January - the equivalent of the lower earnings limit in national insurance."
In what has been described as a "mini-Budget", the chancellor also presented plans to get pubs, restaurants, cafes and B&Bs "bustling again".
For the next six months, from 15 July to 12 January, Mr Sunak will cut VAT from 20% to 5% on food from restaurants, cafes and pubs, as well as accommodation in hotels, B&Bs, campsites and caravan sites, and attractions such as cinemas, theme parks and zoos.
The chancellor also hailed a "creative" scheme to give everyone in the country an "Eat Out to Help Out" discount during August.
"Meals eaten at any participating business, Monday to Wednesday, will be 50% off, up to a maximum discount of £10 per head for everyone, including children," he said.
Businesses will then be able to claim the money back, with Mr Sunak telling MPs that such a scheme "has never been tried in the UK before".
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Having warned that younger people will be "hardest hit" by the COVID-19 crisis, the chancellor confirmed plans for a £2bn "Kickstart Scheme".
Firms will be paid by the Treasury to employ people aged 16-24, for 25 hours of work a week for up to six months.
The chancellor will pay employers the entire cost of the minimum wage for those they give temporary jobs to under the scheme, which is open to people on Universal Credit being helped by a "work coach".
The Treasury expects each young person employed to cost them around £6,000-£7,000 to pay this salary, which is currently £4.55 for those under 18, £6.45 for those aged 18-20 and £8.20 for those aged 21-24.
Image: Theme parks and zoos are among the businesses that will benefit from the VAT cut
For the next six months, the government will also pay employers to create new apprenticeships, with a new payment of £2,000 per apprentice and a £1,500 bonus for businesses to hire apprentices aged 25 and over.
In addition, firms will be paid £1,000 to take on new trainees.
Labour's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds urged the government to get its test, track and isolate programme for limiting coronavirus infections "working properly", as she warned that "fear is hurting our economy".
"The best the government can do to boost demand is to give consumers and workers the confidence and psychological security that they can go out to work, to shop, and to socialise in safety," she said.
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Ms Dodds also called for Mr Sunak to abandon a "one size fits all approach" to withdrawing support schemes for furloughed and self-employed workers.
"We need a strategy for the scheme to become more flexible so it can support those businesses forced to close again because of additional localised lockdowns," she said.
"There is still time to avoid additional floods of redundancy notices. It is the government's duty to help Britain through this."


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--'Clamp for carers': Govt urged to U-turn over car parking charges for NHS staff

Ministers have come under pressure over suggestions NHS workers may soon have to pay to park at their own hospitals again .
A Tory peer and doctors ' union are among those calling for the exemption brought into force at the start of the coronavirus outbreak to continue .
Healthcare staff were told at the end of March the government would cover their parking fees for `` going above and beyond every day '' as they tackled COVID-19 .
But health minister Edward Argar has now said he is looking at how long the support will `` need '' to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free parking for NHS staff by NHS Trusts has not ended and nothing has changed since the announcement on 25 March , '' he wrote in response to a question in parliament .
`` However , free parking for staff has only been made possible by support from local authorities and independent providers and this support can not continue indefinitely . ''
Mr Argar said the government wants to make good on its promise of free hospital parking for the disabled , frequent outpatient attendees , and parents of sick children who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He continued : `` Implementation of this commitment has been on hold whilst the NHS has been managing the COVID-19 pandemic and devoting its hospital parking capacity to staff and other facilities necessary for managing the pandemic . ''
But he is facing calls to keep the existing support for NHS workers in place .
Baroness Nicky Morgan , a former Tory cabinet minister , told Sky News ' Kay Burley @ Breakfast : `` I 'm sure that that is something that will have to be looked at again .
: : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker '' It does seem very strange given how hard our NHS and care workers have worked over the last few months . ''
She added that as a backbencher , `` that 's a decision that I 'm not involved with '' .
Alex Flynn , chief of staff of the British Medical Association , also tweeted : `` From clap for carers , to clamp for carers the government needs to think again .
Keep it free like Wales and most of Scotland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for clarity and insisted NHS workers must not be `` saddled with extortionate parking charges '' .
She said : `` Removing parking charges for staff at the outset of COVID-19 was the right move .
Our healthcare workers deserved to have certainty that they could get to work without extra charges or hassle .
`` Now the government must provide clarity and ensure our workers are not saddled with extortionate parking charges .
We also need to see more efforts to promote green transport options for our healthcare workers . ''


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--The chancellor has been tasked with rehabilitating the PM's administration

Rishi Sunak did not pull his punches when he laid out the scale of the task ahead as the government tries to steer the British economy off the rocks of a deep recession .
The chancellor pointed to the `` profound economic challenges '' we faced , citing the IMF 's expectation that the world is heading for the worst global recession since records began , while our own economy had ground to a halt .
`` In just two months our economy contracted by 25 per cent - the same amount it grew in the previous eighteen years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and additional public funding committed since 11 March via the furlough scheme , more generous benefits , business grants , public spending , tax deferrals and loans ; and then the chancellor unveiled another big stimulus package on Wednesday worth up to £30bn more as tried to create the conditions for a v-shaped economic recovery against the bleak backdrop of potentially millions of job losses and a slump in household consumption .
A chancellor who says he is approaching this crisis `` unencumbered by dogma '' and will continue in that spirit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this crisis , but our response to it , '' he said .
And to that end , the chancellor has been tasked with rehabilitating the Johnson administration , whose approval ratings have fallen over the handling of the crisis .
Within Number 10 there is a view that if the government can navigate the economic crisis better than the health crisis , it will be forgiven for some of the mistakes it made around care homes , protecting health workers , the timing of lockdown and the high death toll .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chancellor not so interested in economic ideology , but rather what he thinks might work .
You only have to look at the chancellor 's version of Labour 's 2009 Future Jobs Fund - the £2 billion into a `` Kickstart Scheme '' to get young people into work placements - and the `` Jobs Retention Bonus '' to see that he is prepared to continue pumping public money into the economy to try to protect jobs - and blunt Labour 's attacks .
But of course Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cares deeply about maintaining traditional Tory values of low taxes , tight controls on borrowing and constrained public spending .
In the face of an acute economic crisis , MPs have let the leadership chart an interventionist path .
But in the tea rooms I 'm told there was one main subject of conversation amongst Conservative MPs : how on earth are we going to pay for it when the bill comes in ?
Faced with an unprecedented economic crisis , the party has supported the unprecedented economic packages put in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growing disquiet about the levels of debt the Treasury is taking on , and growing demands for a fiscal framework to repay the eye watering levels of borrowing ( set to rise to more than £350 billion this financial year ) .
: : Listen to The World Tomorrow on Apple podcasts , Spotify , and Spreaker Self-described `` old Thatcherite '' Sir Edward Leigh spoke for many of his colleagues when he argued in the commons `` there are no good long-term subsidised jobs '' and asked the chancellor to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national debt , otherwise as a previous speaker once said , there will be no more money '' .
Sajid Javid , the former chancellor , asked his successor to set out new fiscal rules in the Autumn with an aim of `` getting out national debt down as a proportion of our national income by the end of this parliament . ''
Mr Sunak knows all too well how easy it is to spend the money and how hard it will be to pay it back .
He is gambling with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will minimise the economic damage of the pandemic in the longer term .
But what he can not know yet is whether this stimulus package will work .
When it comes to employment , Labour think the job retention money should be better targeted for sectors that really need support rather than with one Tory MP telling me it was a bit of a `` dead weight '' scheme given that payments are mainly going to firms that would have been bringing back workers anyway .
What it amounts to is cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it at least buys Mr Sunak some time .
What the chancellor also can not predict is how consumers will react .
He tried to use his statement today to entice people back to our bars , restaurants , cafes and hotels by cutting VAT and even offering to pay for our meals for at least some of the week .
But how much people are prepared to do for the national recovery depends on the virus and whether it can be kept at bay , as the government tries to perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic while re-opening the economy .
As Mr Sunak said himself , this government will be defined by how it responds responds to the crisis .
But what makes that so hard is that when it comes to the virus , politicians are not in full control .

Rishi Sunak did not pull his punches when he laid out the scale of the task ahead as the government tries to steer the British economy off the rocks of a deep recession.
The chancellor pointed to the "profound economic challenges" we faced, citing the IMF's expectation that the world is heading for the worst global recession since records began, while our own economy had ground to a halt.
"In just two months our economy contracted by 25 per cent - the same amount it grew in the previous eighteen years."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:26 Will the budget pay off?
The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates there will be more than £130 billion of government support and additional public funding up until the end of October via the furlough scheme, more generous benefits, business grants, public spending, tax deferrals and loans; and then the chancellor unveiled another big stimulus package on Wednesday worth up to £30 billion more as he tried to create the conditions for a v-shaped economic recovery against the bleak backdrop of potentially millions of job losses and a slump in household consumption.
A chancellor who says he is approaching this crisis "unencumbered by dogma" and will continue in that spirit. "We will not be defined by this crisis, but by our response to it," he said.
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And to that end, the chancellor has been tasked with rehabilitating the Johnson administration, whose approval ratings have fallen over the handling of the crisis.
Within Number 10 there is a view that if the government can navigate the economic crisis better than the health crisis, it will be forgiven for some of the mistakes it made around care homes, protecting health workers, the timing of lockdown and the high death toll.
It helps explain why Mr Sunak is a chancellor not so interested in economic ideology, but rather what he thinks might work.
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You only have to look at the chancellor's version of Labour's 2009 Future Jobs Fund - the £2 billion put into a "kickstart scheme" to get young people into work placements - and the "jobs retention bonus" to see that he is prepared to continue pumping public money into the economy to try to protect jobs - and blunt Labour's attacks.
But of course Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak lead a party which is interested in ideology and cares deeply about maintaining traditional Tory values of low taxes, tight controls on borrowing and constrained public spending.
In the face of an acute economic crisis, MPs have let the leadership chart an interventionist path. But in the tea rooms I'm told there was one main subject of conversation amongst Conservative MPs. How on earth are we going to pay for it when the bill comes in?
Faced with an unprecedented economic crisis, the party has supported the unprecedented economic packages put in place in recent months, but there is growing disquiet about the levels of debt the Treasury is taking on, and growing demands for a fiscal framework to repay the eye watering levels of borrowing (set to rise to more than £350 billion this financial year).
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Self-described "old Thatcherite" Sir Edward Leigh spoke for many of his colleagues when he argued in the Commons "there are no good long-term subsidised jobs" and asked the chancellor to make sure "we have a plan to repay the national debt, otherwise as a previous speaker once said, there will be no more money".
Sajid Javid, the former chancellor, asked his successor to set out new fiscal rules in the Autumn with an aim of "getting our national debt down as a proportion of our national income by the end of this parliament".
Mr Sunak knows all too well how easy it is to spend the money and how hard it will be to pay it back.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:37 'Furlough cannot continue indefinitely'
He is gambling with vast sums now in the hope that it will minimise the economic damage of the pandemic in the longer term.
But what he cannot know yet is whether this stimulus package will work.
When it comes to employment, Labour think the job retention money should be better targeted for sectors that really need support.
One Tory MP told me it was a bit of a "dead weight" scheme given that payments are mainly going to firms that would have been bringing back workers anyway. But as what it amounts to is cash grants for the hardest hit sectors, it at least buys Mr Sunak some time.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:37 Dodds criticises 'one size fits all approach'
What the chancellor also cannot predict is how consumers will react. He tried to use his statement today to entice people back to our bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels by cutting VAT and even offering to pay for our meals for at least some of the week.
But how much people are prepared to do for the national recovery depends on the virus and whether it can be kept at bay, as the government tries to perform the difficult balancing act of managing the pandemic while re-opening the economy.
As Mr Sunak said himself, this government will be defined by how it responds to the crisis. But what makes that so hard is that when it comes to the virus, politicians are not in full control.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Key points as Sunak pledges £1k for each furloughed employee brought back to work

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a `` plan for jobs '' to stimulate Britain 's battered economy .
Here are the key points : • In August , everyone in the country will be given an `` eat out to help out '' discount - 50 % off at participating restaurants , cafes and pubs .
It applies for a maximum discount of £10 per head and can be used from Mondays to Wednesdays • Businesses can claim the money back , with funds in their bank account within five working days • The scheme , described as the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help an industry employing 1.8 million people • VAT on food , accommodation and attractions will be cut for the next six months from 20 % to 5 % - a `` £4bn catalyst '' for the sector designed to protect 2.4 million jobs • The cut - from next Wednesday until 12 January - covers food from restaurants , cafes and pubs , accommodation in hotels , B & Bs and caravan sites , and attractions such as cinemas , theme parks and zoos • The threshold for paying stamp duty will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until 31 March 2021 , resulting in the average stamp duty bill falling by £4,500 • The measure , designed to boost confidence in the housing market after a slump in transactions , is expected to mean nearly nine out of ten people buying a main home this year paying no duty at all • A jobs retention bonus will reward employers who bring back workers from furlough with £1,000 per employee - it will cost £9bn if all nine million of those temporarily laid off come back to work • Government 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not go on for ever '' and will wind down through to October • £1.2bn pledged to Department for Work and Pensions `` to support millions of people back to work '' • Firms will be paid £1,000 to take on trainees , with £100m pledged to fund places in high-demand sectors such as engineering , construction and social care • £2bn made available for `` Kickstart '' scheme for young people - and no cap on the number of places available • Kickstart scheme will pay employers to create new jobs for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk of long-term unemployment - a minimum of 25 hours per week paid at at least the national minimum wage • Green measures totalling £3bn aim to make 650,000 homes more energy efficient , save households £300 a year on bills and support 140,000 jobs • £1bn of funding to improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings • A £2bn green homes grant will deliver vouchers to homeowners and landlords to make their homes more energy efficient


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Another £30bn promised - but it will not be end of emergency support

Since the pandemic began , Boris Johnson 's government has spent £159bn in direct measures including the job retention scheme and tax cuts , as well as a further £123bn on deferred tax rises .
Today 's statement - billed as the second of three acts - is worth up to £30bn , a tenth of the overall package .
That 's a lot of spending for a rainy Wednesday , but it is not the end of the emergency support given by the government to help support the economy .
The words `` whatever it takes '' - the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic - may have disappeared from the speech text today , but it is too early to say that this is the last of the Treasury spending .
Furthermore , more than a third of today 's spending might have happened if the coronavirus pandemic had never occurred .
The £5.6bn infrastructure package , the £1.1bn public sector and social housing decarbonisation plan , the £2bn green homes grant and £3.8bn stamp duty cut flowed logically from the December Tory manifesto and many of the plans had been drawn up back as far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear sign of enterprising thinking in the Treasury in today 's statement .
The most important rabbit pulled from the hat is the job retention bonus - a £1,000 handout to companies that put furloughed staff back on the payroll by November ( the furlough ends on 31 October ) and are still employing them in January .
This single biggest item of spending could cost the Exchequer up to £9bn .
While as Labour points out , this will mean handouts for companies that already decided to bring back staff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasury aim is to create a bazooka to try and ensure people return to their pre-pandemic jobs .
The rest of the statement had two well-trailed aims .
The first was to provide a series of training , apprenticeship programmes .
The other is to stimulate the economy with the stamp duty threshold , VAT cut to 5 % in hospitality and a voucher scheme .
All of these measures are being put in place before the Treasury has any idea of the scale of the problems facing the UK .
Andy Haldane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economist , forecasts a V-shape recovery with a quick bounce back , but many in government are more gloomy and preparing for a U-shaped recovery .
How much will today 's measures help ?
That depends on too many unknowables , and policymaking is taking place in the dark , though that is nobody 's fault .
: : Listen to The World Tomorrow on Apple podcasts , Spotify , and Spreaker A big choice has been made in British politics .
Today 's statement was needed because politically there was a necessity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starts to withdraw the furlough scheme which paid to keep Britons at home .
Labour would keep elements of the furlough in place , and therefore argue they would n't start from here .
This arguably is why the job of the opposition today was also difficult .
Anneliese Dodds , in her first major outing as shadow chancellor , effectively argued that while Labour was n't going to oppose the individual measures , they would have kept elements of the furlough scheme instead .

Since the pandemic began, Boris Johnson's government has spent £159bn in direct measures including the job retention scheme and tax cuts, as well as a further £123bn on deferred tax rises.
Today's statement - billed as the second of three acts - is worth up to £30bn, a tenth of the overall package.
That's a lot of spending for a rainy Wednesday, but it is not the end of the emergency support given by the government to help support the economy.
The words "whatever it takes" - the Chancellor's refrain from earlier in the pandemic - may have disappeared from the speech text today, but it is too early to say that this is the last of the Treasury spending.
Furthermore, more than a third of today's spending might have happened if the coronavirus pandemic had never occurred.
The £5.6bn infrastructure package, the £1.1bn public sector and social housing decarbonisation plan, the £2bn green homes grant and £3.8bn stamp duty cut flowed logically from the December Tory manifesto and many of the plans had been drawn up back as far as February.
Image: Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced measures including a stamp duty cut
Nevertheless, there is a clear sign of enterprising thinking in the Treasury in today's statement.
The most important rabbit pulled from the hat is the job retention bonus - a £1,000 handout to companies that put furloughed staff back on the payroll by November (the furlough ends on 31 October) and are still employing them in January.
This single biggest item of spending could cost the Exchequer up to £9bn. While as Labour points out, this will mean handouts for companies that already decided to bring back staff, something the opposition judges unnecessary, the Treasury aim is to create a bazooka to try and ensure people return to their pre-pandemic jobs.
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The rest of the statement had two well-trailed aims. The first was to provide a series of training, apprenticeship programmes. The other is to stimulate the economy with the stamp duty threshold, VAT cut to 5% in hospitality and a voucher scheme.
All of these measures are being put in place before the Treasury has any idea of the scale of the problems facing the UK.
Andy Haldane, the Bank of England's chief economist, forecasts a V-shape recovery with a quick bounce back, but many in government are more gloomy and preparing for a U-shaped recovery.
How much will today's measures help? That depends on too many unknowables, and policymaking is taking place in the dark, though that is nobody's fault.
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A big choice has been made in British politics. Today's statement was needed because politically there was a necessity for the Chancellor to act as he starts to withdraw the furlough scheme which paid to keep Britons at home.
Labour would keep elements of the furlough in place, and therefore argue they wouldn't start from here.
This arguably is why the job of the opposition today was also difficult.
Anneliese Dodds, in her first major outing as shadow chancellor, effectively argued that while Labour wasn't going to oppose the individual measures, they would have kept elements of the furlough scheme instead.


skynewspolitics--2020-07-08--Top civil servants now 'fair game' for hostile briefings, warns departing chief

The UK 's top civil servant has warned that fellow Whitehall officials are now `` fair game '' as he prepares to leave his role .
Sir Mark Sedwill , who is due to step down as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service in September , said that hostile briefings against those working in the civil service had become a `` regrettable feature of modern politics '' .
His comments come after a job advert for his replacement in the £200,000-a-year role was posted this week .
Sir Mark was also Boris Johnson 's national security adviser , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ David Frost having been controversially chosen as his replacement .
It was revealed on Wednesday that the prime minister last month personally approved a £248,000 pay-off for Sir Mark .
The announcement of Sir Mark 's impending departure as the UK 's most senior civil servant - a position he will have held for less than two years - followed reports of clashes between himself , Mr Johnson and the prime minister 's chief adviser Dominic Cummings .
Criticism of Sir Mark 's handling of the coronavirus crisis also appeared in the press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kerslake having since accused Mr Johnson of trying to make Sir Mark the `` fall guy '' for government failures .
Appearing before parliament 's National Security Strategy committee on Wednesday , Sir Mark was asked why he resigned from his dual post .
He replied : `` I have n't resigned .
The prime minister and I agreed I should step down , by agreement .
`` That was essentially because we had concluded it was time to split the jobs again - and have a separate security adviser and separate cabinet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Sir Mark told MPs and peers on the committee that `` personalities were not an issue at all '' during his time working in Downing Street .
`` At some point between the election and the middle part of this parliament , it would have been sensible for me to have moved on , '' he added .
Mr Johnson 's spell as prime minister has seen a number of changes at the higher levels of the civil service .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most senior civil servant at the Home Office , quit following what he described as a `` vicious and orchestrated '' campaign against him .
Last month , Mr Johnson asked Sir Simon McDonald to quit as the Foreign Office 's most senior civil servant ahead of the department 's merger with the Department for International Development .
It followed reports of friction between Sir Simon and the prime minister .
Sir Mark warned his successors in his two roles that they `` will have to deal with '' briefings against them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never pleasant to find oneself , particularly as an official , in the midst of stories of that kind , '' he said .
`` We appear to be in an era where some of us are fair game in the media and I 'm afraid it goes with the territory now .
`` I guess my successors will have to deal with some of that as well .
`` I do n't think it is ever pleasant in government , whether it is against ministers , between them and particularly against officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can not really reply , particularly those that are off the record and sniping away .
`` But it is a regrettable feature of modern politics , I 'm afraid . ''
Former prime minister Theresa May , who appointed Sir Mark to his dual roles , recently criticised Mr Johnson 's decision to name Mr Frost as his new national security adviser .
She branded Mr Frost a `` political appointee with no proven expertise in national security '' .

The UK's top civil servant has warned that fellow Whitehall officials are now "fair game" as he prepares to leave his role.
Sir Mark Sedwill, who is due to step down as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service in September, said that hostile briefings against those working in the civil service had become a "regrettable feature of modern politics".
His comments come after a job advert for his replacement in the £200,000-a-year role was posted this week.
Image: The UK's Brexit negotiator David Frost (left) will replace Sir Mark as the PM's national security adviser
Sir Mark was also Boris Johnson's national security adviser, with the prime minister's Brexit negotiator David Frost having been controversially chosen as his replacement.
It was revealed on Wednesday that the prime minister last month personally approved a £248,000 pay-off for Sir Mark.
The announcement of Sir Mark's impending departure as the UK's most senior civil servant - a position he will have held for less than two years - followed reports of clashes between himself, Mr Johnson and the prime minister's chief adviser Dominic Cummings.
Criticism of Sir Mark's handling of the coronavirus crisis also appeared in the press, with former civil service chief Lord Kerslake having since accused Mr Johnson of trying to make Sir Mark the "fall guy" for government failures.
Appearing before parliament's National Security Strategy committee on Wednesday, Sir Mark was asked why he resigned from his dual post.
He replied: "I haven't resigned. The prime minister and I agreed I should step down, by agreement.
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"That was essentially because we had concluded it was time to split the jobs again - and have a separate security adviser and separate cabinet secretary."
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Sir Mark told MPs and peers on the committee that "personalities were not an issue at all" during his time working in Downing Street.
"At some point between the election and the middle part of this parliament, it would have been sensible for me to have moved on," he added.
Mr Johnson's spell as prime minister has seen a number of changes at the higher levels of the civil service.
In February, Sir Philip Rutnam, the most senior civil servant at the Home Office, quit following what he described as a "vicious and orchestrated" campaign against him.
Last month, Mr Johnson asked Sir Simon McDonald to quit as the Foreign Office's most senior civil servant ahead of the department's merger with the Department for International Development.
It followed reports of friction between Sir Simon and the prime minister.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:44 'I don't believe Priti Patel': Sir Philip Rutnam quits
Sir Mark warned his successors in his two roles that they "will have to deal with" briefings against them in the media.
"It is never pleasant to find oneself, particularly as an official, in the midst of stories of that kind," he said.
"We appear to be in an era where some of us are fair game in the media and I'm afraid it goes with the territory now.
"I guess my successors will have to deal with some of that as well.
"I don't think it is ever pleasant in government, whether it is against ministers, between them and particularly against officials, when you have briefings to which you cannot really reply, particularly those that are off the record and sniping away.
"But it is a regrettable feature of modern politics, I'm afraid."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:36 May's frosty look over national security appointment
Former prime minister Theresa May, who appointed Sir Mark to his dual roles, recently criticised Mr Johnson's decision to name Mr Frost as his new national security adviser.
She branded Mr Frost a "political appointee with no proven expertise in national security".