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| UK coronavirus live: cost of furlough scheme estimated to reach £83bn by October | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Health minister Edward Argar concedes government still needs to ‘make available’ Covid-19 testing capacity to all care home residents | Health minister Edward Argar concedes government still needs to ‘make available’ Covid-19 testing capacity to all care home residents |
| The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, is holding her daily press conference, which you can watch live here. | |
| She has said that a total of 2,007 patients have died after testing positive for the virus, up by 34 from 1,973 on Wednesday. | |
| Sturgeon said 14,117 people have tested positive for the virus, up by 188 from 13,929 the day before. There are 71 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, an increase of one on Wednesday. | |
| There are 1,480 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of 54. Since 5 March, 3,253 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have been able to leave hospital. | |
| The Office for Budget Responsibility has published a revised assessment of the impact of coronavirus on the national finances. Faisal Islam, the BBC’s economics editor, has the key findings. | |
| Gordon Brown has called for international coordination to prevent a second or third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the crisis cannot truly be ended “unless it is eradicated in every continent”. Writing in the foreword of a new report – Tipping Point: How the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to push the world’s poorest to the brink of survival – by international development charity Christian Aid, he said: | |
| The report examines the situations and the solutions for vulnerable adults and children in a range of countries, where they say the need for cross-border cooperation is clear. Brown said: “South Sudan is a story about a conflict-affected context with no functioning health system; the Sierra Leone example highlights the merits of a faith-based response and makes the case for debt cancellation; Bangladesh is about the desperate plight of Rohingya refugees; and the situation in Gaza and the surrounding region calls for cooperation across political boundaries.” | |
| Turning back to the Office for National Statistics report on coronavirus and social impacts (see 10.35am), its survey also shows that people are increasingly resigned to it taking a while before life returns to normal. | Turning back to the Office for National Statistics report on coronavirus and social impacts (see 10.35am), its survey also shows that people are increasingly resigned to it taking a while before life returns to normal. |
| As the ONS explains in its summary, 46% of adults now think it will be longer than six months for their life to return to normal, compared with 33% after the first week of lockdown. | As the ONS explains in its summary, 46% of adults now think it will be longer than six months for their life to return to normal, compared with 33% after the first week of lockdown. |
| But when you look at the detailed figures, what is surprising perhaps is that people do seem to think that one day life will get back to normal. Politicians have not been promising that. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, talks about how people will have to get used to a “new normal”. And the UK government’s coronavirus recovery plan (pdf) does not talk about returning to normal. It says the plan is for life to return life “to as close to normal as possible”, but it also says life post-Covid will be different. It says: | But when you look at the detailed figures, what is surprising perhaps is that people do seem to think that one day life will get back to normal. Politicians have not been promising that. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, talks about how people will have to get used to a “new normal”. And the UK government’s coronavirus recovery plan (pdf) does not talk about returning to normal. It says the plan is for life to return life “to as close to normal as possible”, but it also says life post-Covid will be different. It says: |
| But only 3% of people told the ONS that their lives would never return to normal. People were asked how long it would take for their lives to return to normal. Here are the results. | But only 3% of people told the ONS that their lives would never return to normal. People were asked how long it would take for their lives to return to normal. Here are the results. |
| Less than 3 months - 10% | Less than 3 months - 10% |
| 4 to 6 months - 23% | 4 to 6 months - 23% |
| 7 to 12 months - 26% | 7 to 12 months - 26% |
| More than 12 months - 20% | More than 12 months - 20% |
| Never - 3% | Never - 3% |
| Not sure - 18% | Not sure - 18% |
| The number of mortgages in arrears crept up during the first three months of 2020, in what appears to be early signs of the impact Covid-19 is having on personal finances. | The number of mortgages in arrears crept up during the first three months of 2020, in what appears to be early signs of the impact Covid-19 is having on personal finances. |
| The PA Media news agency reports that 72,380 homeowner mortgages were in arrears of 2.5% or more of the outstanding balance in the first quarter of 2020, up from 70,880 in the fourth quarter of 2019. | The PA Media news agency reports that 72,380 homeowner mortgages were in arrears of 2.5% or more of the outstanding balance in the first quarter of 2020, up from 70,880 in the fourth quarter of 2019. |
| The figures from a UK Finance report show there were 4,420 mortgages in arrears in the buy-to-let sector, up slightly from 4,390 the previous quarter. | The figures from a UK Finance report show there were 4,420 mortgages in arrears in the buy-to-let sector, up slightly from 4,390 the previous quarter. |
| Mortgage arrears levels for both homeowners and landlords were lower when compared with the first quarter of 2019, and they remain low by long-term comparisons. | Mortgage arrears levels for both homeowners and landlords were lower when compared with the first quarter of 2019, and they remain low by long-term comparisons. |
| The report said: | The report said: |
| Labour has expressed alarm after a series of Conservative MPs, including a minister, shared a video tweeted by a hard-right Twitter account which falsely claimed Sir Keir Starmer obstructed the targeting of grooming gang victims when he led the Crown Prosecution Service. | Labour has expressed alarm after a series of Conservative MPs, including a minister, shared a video tweeted by a hard-right Twitter account which falsely claimed Sir Keir Starmer obstructed the targeting of grooming gang victims when he led the Crown Prosecution Service. |
| The tweeted video was shared by Nadine Dorries, who is now a junior health minister, as well as Telford MP Lucy Allan and Maria Caulfield, who represents Lewes. All expressed alarm at what the video purported to show, with Dorries calling it “revealing”. | The tweeted video was shared by Nadine Dorries, who is now a junior health minister, as well as Telford MP Lucy Allan and Maria Caulfield, who represents Lewes. All expressed alarm at what the video purported to show, with Dorries calling it “revealing”. |
| The 22-second clip from 2013 shows Starmer apparently recounting reasons why victims of grooming gangs might not be credible, talking about “the assumption that a victim of child sexual abuse will swiftly report what’s happened to them to the police; will be able to give a coherent, consistent account, first time; that they will not themselves have engaged in any offending or other behaviour; and that they will not have misused drugs or alcohol at any stage”. | The 22-second clip from 2013 shows Starmer apparently recounting reasons why victims of grooming gangs might not be credible, talking about “the assumption that a victim of child sexual abuse will swiftly report what’s happened to them to the police; will be able to give a coherent, consistent account, first time; that they will not themselves have engaged in any offending or other behaviour; and that they will not have misused drugs or alcohol at any stage”. |
| The original tweeter, who also regularly posts anti-Islam messages and other hard-right content, titled the clip, “Keir Starmer explains why he didn’t prosecute grooming gangs when he was head if the Crown Prosecution Service”. | The original tweeter, who also regularly posts anti-Islam messages and other hard-right content, titled the clip, “Keir Starmer explains why he didn’t prosecute grooming gangs when he was head if the Crown Prosecution Service”. |
| However, a fuller version of the video shows this is completely misleading. Starmer is in fact explaining why he had changed the prosecution guidelines, to move away from “a number of assumptions, which didn’t withstand scrutiny”. | However, a fuller version of the video shows this is completely misleading. Starmer is in fact explaining why he had changed the prosecution guidelines, to move away from “a number of assumptions, which didn’t withstand scrutiny”. |
| A Labour source said: | A Labour source said: |
| Dorries later did remove her tweet, as did Allan. Caulfield appeared to delete her entire Twitter account. None had as yet apologised for sharing the misleading message. | Dorries later did remove her tweet, as did Allan. Caulfield appeared to delete her entire Twitter account. None had as yet apologised for sharing the misleading message. |
| Around 44% of firms have said they do not have enough cash in the bank to last longer than six months, according to a new survey by the Office for National Statistics. As PA Media reports, the ONS’s latest business impact of coronavirus survey also revealed that 22% of companies halted trading over the two weeks between 20 April and 3 May. Meanwhile, 6% of companies who said they were trading during the period said they had restarted operations following a pause in trading after the lockdown. | Around 44% of firms have said they do not have enough cash in the bank to last longer than six months, according to a new survey by the Office for National Statistics. As PA Media reports, the ONS’s latest business impact of coronavirus survey also revealed that 22% of companies halted trading over the two weeks between 20 April and 3 May. Meanwhile, 6% of companies who said they were trading during the period said they had restarted operations following a pause in trading after the lockdown. |
| The ONS said fewer than 1% of firms surveyed said they have had to permanently close as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. | The ONS said fewer than 1% of firms surveyed said they have had to permanently close as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. |
| However, firms still trading raised significant concerns over cash flows, with 4.3% of businesses reporting that they have no cash reserves to fall back on. The survey found 44% believed their cash reserves will last them less than six months, with 27.1% of firms confident they have enough cash to last over six months. | However, firms still trading raised significant concerns over cash flows, with 4.3% of businesses reporting that they have no cash reserves to fall back on. The survey found 44% believed their cash reserves will last them less than six months, with 27.1% of firms confident they have enough cash to last over six months. |
| Plans to make 12,000 British Airways workers redundant, which is equivalent to more than a quarter of the workforce, remain unchanged despite the government’s extension of the coronavirus furlough scheme to the end of October, the airline’s owner has said. The IAG chief executive, Willie Walsh, made this point in a letter to the transport committee, where he gave evidence on Monday. | Plans to make 12,000 British Airways workers redundant, which is equivalent to more than a quarter of the workforce, remain unchanged despite the government’s extension of the coronavirus furlough scheme to the end of October, the airline’s owner has said. The IAG chief executive, Willie Walsh, made this point in a letter to the transport committee, where he gave evidence on Monday. |
| Walsh also said British Airways had processed cash refunds on 921,000 bookings, with vouchers given on a further 346,000 bookings. | Walsh also said British Airways had processed cash refunds on 921,000 bookings, with vouchers given on a further 346,000 bookings. |
| A new study published this week in the International Journal of Clinical Practice suggests that more than one in four people in England are likely to have been infected already by the coronavirus.The study, by researchers from the University of Manchester, Salford Royal and Res Consortium, is the first to use case data from 149 local authorities on the number of people infected in their areas. From this data, the researchers calculated the R-value - the number of people infected by one person with Covid-19 – within each area.The data shows, they say, that more than 25% of people in England could already have had the virus by the second half of April – higher than previously thought. | A new study published this week in the International Journal of Clinical Practice suggests that more than one in four people in England are likely to have been infected already by the coronavirus.The study, by researchers from the University of Manchester, Salford Royal and Res Consortium, is the first to use case data from 149 local authorities on the number of people infected in their areas. From this data, the researchers calculated the R-value - the number of people infected by one person with Covid-19 – within each area.The data shows, they say, that more than 25% of people in England could already have had the virus by the second half of April – higher than previously thought. |
| The researchers said the UK’s R value, which was over three at the start of the outbreak in the middle of March, was now “well below 1”. This tallies with data published by Public Health England, showing that the overall UK R-value is 0.7 with variation from 0.4 in London to 0.8 in Yorkshire and the north-east of England.Dr Adrian Heald from the University of Manchester, one of the researchers, said: | The researchers said the UK’s R value, which was over three at the start of the outbreak in the middle of March, was now “well below 1”. This tallies with data published by Public Health England, showing that the overall UK R-value is 0.7 with variation from 0.4 in London to 0.8 in Yorkshire and the north-east of England.Dr Adrian Heald from the University of Manchester, one of the researchers, said: |
| Yesterday Downing Street refused to endorse the claim from Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, that MPs should “lead by example” by returning to work in parliament in June. The prime minister’s spokesman backed Rees-Mogg in saying MPs should get back to working more normally at some point, but the spokesman drew the line at using Rees-Mogg’s “lead by example” phraseology (which implies MPs needing to take a risk). | Yesterday Downing Street refused to endorse the claim from Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, that MPs should “lead by example” by returning to work in parliament in June. The prime minister’s spokesman backed Rees-Mogg in saying MPs should get back to working more normally at some point, but the spokesman drew the line at using Rees-Mogg’s “lead by example” phraseology (which implies MPs needing to take a risk). |
| As my colleague Rajeev Syal reports, yesterday Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, also signalled his opposition to Rees-Mogg’s plan to get the house working again as normal from next month, telling MPs that he would suspend sittings if he thought conditions were not safe. | As my colleague Rajeev Syal reports, yesterday Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, also signalled his opposition to Rees-Mogg’s plan to get the house working again as normal from next month, telling MPs that he would suspend sittings if he thought conditions were not safe. |
| But Rees-Mogg is not backing down. This morning he has restated his call for MPs to “lead by example”. | But Rees-Mogg is not backing down. This morning he has restated his call for MPs to “lead by example”. |