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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2020/mar/12/trumps-travel-ban-wont-have-much-impact-on-spread-of-coronavirus-says-rishi-sunak-live-news
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| Trump's travel ban won't have much impact on spread of coronavirus, says Rishi Sunak - live news | Trump's travel ban won't have much impact on spread of coronavirus, says Rishi Sunak - live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen | Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen |
| Alistair Jack, the Scottish secretary, told BBC Radio Scotland this morning that Boris Johnson will soon announce a feasiblity study into plans for bridge linking Scotland to Northern Ireland. In an interview this morning, asked why there was no money for the plan in the budget, he replied: “Watch this space.” He went on: | |
| Johnson has a fondness for extravagant infrastructure schemes and he has repeatedly expressed interest in a bridge linking Scotland and Northern Ireland, despite experts dismissing the idea as impractical. Jack has suggested that the scheme could involve a combination of tunnel and bridge. | |
| The Resolution Foundation thinktank has this morning published a 60-page analysis of the budget (pdf). And it has been posting some highlights on a Twitter thread starting here. | |
| I will post more from the report shortly. | |
| Here are the main points from Rishi Sunak’s morning interview round. | Here are the main points from Rishi Sunak’s morning interview round. |
| Sunak, the chancellor, criticised President Trump’s flight ban announcement, saying that the UK government’s view was that measures like this would not have much impact on the spread of coronavirus. (See 8.55am.) | Sunak, the chancellor, criticised President Trump’s flight ban announcement, saying that the UK government’s view was that measures like this would not have much impact on the spread of coronavirus. (See 8.55am.) |
| He accepted that the flight ban would have an impact on the UK economy. Asked on the Today programme if it would have a negative impact on the economy, he accepted that it would, although in his answer he focused on making a general point about the negative economic impact of coronavirus. He said: | He accepted that the flight ban would have an impact on the UK economy. Asked on the Today programme if it would have a negative impact on the economy, he accepted that it would, although in his answer he focused on making a general point about the negative economic impact of coronavirus. He said: |
| He dismissed claims that his spending plans were irresponsible. He said: | He dismissed claims that his spending plans were irresponsible. He said: |
| He said that his measures were compatible with the fiscal rules set out in the Conservative manifesto. | He said that his measures were compatible with the fiscal rules set out in the Conservative manifesto. |
| He laughed off suggestions that he had delivered a Gordon Brown budget, or a Labour budget. When LBC’s Nick Ferrari put this to him, Sunak laughed, and said he would let others make that judgment. | He laughed off suggestions that he had delivered a Gordon Brown budget, or a Labour budget. When LBC’s Nick Ferrari put this to him, Sunak laughed, and said he would let others make that judgment. |
| He suggested that Jeremy Corbyn’s resignation as Labour leader was holding up the announcement of plans for reform of social care. When asked about the absence of social care from the budget, he said that Matt Hancock, the health secretary, wrote to MPs last week proposing cross-party talks starting in May. When it was put to him that the government was taking a long time, particularly since Boris Johnson claimed to have a plan for social care last summer, Sunak replied: | He suggested that Jeremy Corbyn’s resignation as Labour leader was holding up the announcement of plans for reform of social care. When asked about the absence of social care from the budget, he said that Matt Hancock, the health secretary, wrote to MPs last week proposing cross-party talks starting in May. When it was put to him that the government was taking a long time, particularly since Boris Johnson claimed to have a plan for social care last summer, Sunak replied: |
| Sunak defended his decision not to extend sick pay to cover the low-paid and the self-employed. In the budget he said that people in these categories would instead find it easier to claim benefits as a result of rules being relaxed during the coronavirus outbreak. This morning he said: | Sunak defended his decision not to extend sick pay to cover the low-paid and the self-employed. In the budget he said that people in these categories would instead find it easier to claim benefits as a result of rules being relaxed during the coronavirus outbreak. This morning he said: |
| He also claimed that around half of workers who needed to take time off would get more than statutory sick pay because of their employers offered more generous arrangements. | He also claimed that around half of workers who needed to take time off would get more than statutory sick pay because of their employers offered more generous arrangements. |
| He sidestepped a question about whether he and his family would be able to live on £90 per week themselves. Statutory sick pay is worth £94.25 per week. Asked if that was enough to live on, he replied: | He sidestepped a question about whether he and his family would be able to live on £90 per week themselves. Statutory sick pay is worth £94.25 per week. Asked if that was enough to live on, he replied: |
| When pressed on whether he could live on this himself, he said: | When pressed on whether he could live on this himself, he said: |
| He defended his decision not to include nurseries in the list of companies that will qualify for a one-year exemption from business rates. The nursery sector has been horrified by the decision. Asked why they were not included, Sunak said: | He defended his decision not to include nurseries in the list of companies that will qualify for a one-year exemption from business rates. The nursery sector has been horrified by the decision. Asked why they were not included, Sunak said: |
| He accepted that his plans involved making an assumption about the cost of borrowing remaining low, but it was a judgement he defended. He said: | He accepted that his plans involved making an assumption about the cost of borrowing remaining low, but it was a judgement he defended. He said: |
| Stock markets around the wall are down following President Trump’s travel ban announcement. My colleague Graeme Wearden has all the details on his business live blog. | |
| This is from the BBC’s Adam Fleming. He is quoting from the government’s UK influenza pandemic preparedness strategy. It was drawn up in 2011, but officials have been using it as the starting point for their response to the coronavirus outbreak. | This is from the BBC’s Adam Fleming. He is quoting from the government’s UK influenza pandemic preparedness strategy. It was drawn up in 2011, but officials have been using it as the starting point for their response to the coronavirus outbreak. |
| There will be two statements in the Commons today. | There will be two statements in the Commons today. |
| Good morning. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, has been doing the tradition post-budget morning interview round and, in a sign perhaps of the seriousness of the crisis facing the economy, No 10 has lifted its usual ban and let him speak to the Today programme. | Good morning. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, has been doing the tradition post-budget morning interview round and, in a sign perhaps of the seriousness of the crisis facing the economy, No 10 has lifted its usual ban and let him speak to the Today programme. |
| The first topic to come up, of course, was President Trump’s shock decision last night to announce a 30-day ban on people from most EU countries (but not the UK) from travelling to the US. | The first topic to come up, of course, was President Trump’s shock decision last night to announce a 30-day ban on people from most EU countries (but not the UK) from travelling to the US. |
| Criticising American presidents in public does not come easily to UK government ministers, particularly Conservative ones working for Boris Johnson, but Sunak could not avoid saying he thought Trump’s plan was a bad idea. He told the Today programme: | Criticising American presidents in public does not come easily to UK government ministers, particularly Conservative ones working for Boris Johnson, but Sunak could not avoid saying he thought Trump’s plan was a bad idea. He told the Today programme: |
| In another BBC interview he was more direct. “We haven’t believed that that’s the right thing to do, the evidence here doesn’t support that,” he said. | In another BBC interview he was more direct. “We haven’t believed that that’s the right thing to do, the evidence here doesn’t support that,” he said. |
| I will post more from his interviews shortly. | I will post more from his interviews shortly. |
| Here is the agenda for the day. | Here is the agenda for the day. |
| 10am: Lord Hall, the BBC director general, and Sir David Clementi, its chairman, give evidence to the Commons culture committee. | 10am: Lord Hall, the BBC director general, and Sir David Clementi, its chairman, give evidence to the Commons culture committee. |
| 1pm: The Institute for Fiscal Studies holds a briefing on the budget. | 1pm: The Institute for Fiscal Studies holds a briefing on the budget. |
| 1.15pm: Boris Johnson chairs a meeting of Cobra, the government’s emergency committee, to discuss coronavirus. | |
| We’re also due to get an announcement from Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary, on plans to reform planning laws. | We’re also due to get an announcement from Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary, on plans to reform planning laws. |
| I will be covering Westminster coronavirus developments, but our main coronavirus coverage is on a separate coronavirus outbreak live blog. As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I plan to post a summary when I wrap up. | I will be covering Westminster coronavirus developments, but our main coronavirus coverage is on a separate coronavirus outbreak live blog. As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web. I plan to post a summary when I wrap up. |
| You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. | You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads. |
| If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to follow me or contact me on Twitter, I’m on @AndrewSparrow. |
| I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. | I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. |
| If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. | If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. |