Tuesday’s death toll calls for an urgent reset, and the biggest job creation scheme since the second world war
What does it take to get Rishi Sunak to act with some urgency? The number of people who have died from Covid-19 has surpassed 100,000, joblessness is on its on its way to reaching 3 million, and thousands of people are slipping from poverty into destitution. The UK’s paltry level of sick pay has forced many to choose between self-isolating and enduring financial hardship, or putting others at risk by going back to work.
But rather than take necessary action, Sunak has strung along those who are already under immense pressure. People claiming universal credit (UC) won’t find out until the March budget whether they will be robbed of their £20 additional weekly payment. Likewise, without giving companies certainty about whether the furlough support will continue, large scale lay-offs will grow to an unstoppable torrent.
