the prime minister has insisted that the
four-week lockdown
in england which began today will be
enough to reduce the rate of coronavirus
infections
boris johnson said he realized that
people were weary and fed up
but there was light at the end of the
tunnel non-essential
shops have all now shut pubs and
restaurants can only serve
takeaways and in an unexpected move the
chancellor rishi sunak announced that
the uk's furlough scheme for those
temporarily laid off
has been extended until the end of march
to give more support for workers facing
yet more uncertainty
the furlough scheme will now apply to
the whole of the uk
for the next five months the government
will pay 80 per cent of wages for hours
not worked for employees affected by the
pandemic
for those who are self-employed support
has been extended to a similar level
it's been increased to 80 percent
of average profits until january here's
our deputy political editor vicky young
they tried to open up the economy but
once again the shutters have come down
across england and now emergency
bailouts have become
long-term support the government helping
to pay the wages
of millions of people for a whole year
but today the prime minister insisted
there was light at the end of the tunnel
across the whole of the united kingdom
people are engaged in a huge joint
effort
to put the chronovirus back in its box i
know that many of you
are anxious weary and quite frankly fed
up with the very mention
of this virus but i want to assure you
this is not
a repeat of the spring the chancellor
was lending a hand at a housing
development
he's been saying it's time to wind down
the furlough scheme not
build it up again but rishi sunak has
gone from eat out to help out
to eating his words political opponents
have chosen to attack the government
for trying to keep the economy
functioning and to make sure the support
we provide encourages people to keep
working
but to anyone in the real world that's
just the thing you have to do
when the circumstances change
[Music]
there have been several versions of the
chancellor's support plan in recent
weeks
labour said the furlough scheme should
have been extended sooner the delay had
cost
jobs and livelihoods the chancellor can
change his mind at the last minute
mr speaker but businesses can't
we need a chancellor who's in front of
the problems
we face not one who's always a step
behind and the first minister of
scotland
said uncertainty over wage support had
had dire consequences
unfortunately because many businesses
and
workers expected the furlough
the existing furlough scheme to end at
the end of october
and i know people in this circle all
know people in this circumstance
it made people redundant and i think
that is deeply regrettable
the seats are empty at this hair salon
in cardiff
wales is in the middle of a two-week
lockdown so owner helen has put her
staff
back on furlough the news today has been
in one way a big relief knowing that
we'll have the backing
um going forward which is you know a
huge help
but it also what does that mean you know
extending it to march does that mean we
are in for more lockdowns
you know we're going to be on this total
roller coaster open close
you criticize political opponents who
call for the furlough scheme to be
extended and now you've done it
what do you say to those who've lost
their jobs because you didn't provide
that certainty
earlier we needed to look at alternative
systems of support to encourage the
economy to keep moving to get people
back into
employment that was why uh the job
support system the jss
uh was developed in a different package
of
of measures but now as we face this this
autumn surge
uh it's right uh to to go to furlough
and that's what we're doing the
chancellor has spent hundreds of
billions of pounds propping up the
economy during this pandemic
but after being accused of ignoring the
needs of workers in northern english
cities wales and scotland
he's now come up with even more another
huge financial commitment
stretching into next year that's
reassuring for many
but others worry about the longer-term
implications for the economy
the brief optimism of the summer has
faded quickly
vicky young bbc news westminster