This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/jul/08/uk-coronavirus-live-sunak-to-set-out-jobs-plan-and-stamp-duty-holiday
The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 14 | Version 15 |
|---|---|
| UK coronavirus live: Rishi Sunak unveils stamp duty cut, furlough bonus and August discount for eating out | UK coronavirus live: Rishi Sunak unveils stamp duty cut, furlough bonus and August discount for eating out |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Chancellor delivers summer statement in the Commons on UK economic recovery from pandemic | Chancellor delivers summer statement in the Commons on UK economic recovery from pandemic |
| The Department of Health and Social Care has published its latest UK coronavirus death figures. There have been a further 126 deaths, taking the total to 44,517. | |
| This is just the figure for people who have tested positive and died. As we try to point out every day, this official headline total used by the government is not the actual total. That is because these figures only include people who tested positive for coronavirus and died. Taking into account the deaths of people who did not have a test, but where coronavirus was cited on the death certificate, the real total is more than 55,000. | |
| Overall, the daily death toll seems to be closer to plateauing rather than continuing to decline. Here is the latest chart from the government’s coronavirus dashboard (which does not include today’s figures because, confusingly, it does not get updated daily at the same time as the DHSC figures come out). | |
| Landlords who mainly sell beer rather than food may feel a little bitter tonight. | |
| The government’s temporary VAT cut only applies to food and non-alcoholic drinks. Nick Mackenzie, chief executive of Greene King, says this will penalise “traditional pubs”: | |
| The Campaign for Real Ale is also concerned that community pubs are losing out. Many need a sales boost, having been closed for several months during the lockdown. | |
| In his speech Rishi Sunak said he would be publishing research showing that the poor have been protected the most by the coronavirus measures taken so far. | |
| Here is the Treasury document (pdf) he was referring to. And here is the key chart in it, which tries to estimate the impact various government measures had on household incomes by May, compared with what would have happened if there had been no intervention. | |
| Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has welcomed the measures outlined in Rishi Sunak’s statement but said they belonged to “normal economic times” and that much more needed to be done to “build resilience in our poorest communities”. | Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, has welcomed the measures outlined in Rishi Sunak’s statement but said they belonged to “normal economic times” and that much more needed to be done to “build resilience in our poorest communities”. |
| He said the chancellor should have increased the rate of statutory sick pay (SSP) from £95.85 per week and extended it to the 2 million workers for whom it is not currently available. The former Labour minister said people felt compelled to go into work despite being ill because they cannot afford to live on SSP. | He said the chancellor should have increased the rate of statutory sick pay (SSP) from £95.85 per week and extended it to the 2 million workers for whom it is not currently available. The former Labour minister said people felt compelled to go into work despite being ill because they cannot afford to live on SSP. |
| Social care staff should have been given an immediate pay rise and been able to isolate on full pay, Burnham said, adding that there was no support for directors of limited companies who had been “forgotten” by the Treasury. | |
| On coronavirus, Burnham said he had written to the health secretary, Matt Hancock, today to raise “specific concerns” from the region’s public health directors about the lack of data being provided by the government. | |
| He said the lack of complete and timely data from the government on patients affected, their ethnicity, and test and trace results was hampering the local response to any outbreaks. | He said the lack of complete and timely data from the government on patients affected, their ethnicity, and test and trace results was hampering the local response to any outbreaks. |
| The government has said it cannot provide data on specific patients due to confidentiality rules. However, Burnham said the deadlock was preventing health officials from launching speedy investigations and that providing patient data was normal practice for any notifiable disease, adding: | The government has said it cannot provide data on specific patients due to confidentiality rules. However, Burnham said the deadlock was preventing health officials from launching speedy investigations and that providing patient data was normal practice for any notifiable disease, adding: |
| NHS England has announced there have been a further 42 coronavirus hospital deaths in England. The full details are here. | NHS England has announced there have been a further 42 coronavirus hospital deaths in England. The full details are here. |
| This is the highest daily figure for a week. For comparison, here are the equivalent daily figures for the past fortnight. | This is the highest daily figure for a week. For comparison, here are the equivalent daily figures for the past fortnight. |
| Wednesday 24 June - 51 | Wednesday 24 June - 51 |
| Thursday 25 June - 55 | Thursday 25 June - 55 |
| Friday 26 June - 67 | Friday 26 June - 67 |
| Saturday 27 June - 78 | Saturday 27 June - 78 |
| Sunday 28 June - 18 | Sunday 28 June - 18 |
| Monday 29 June - 19 | Monday 29 June - 19 |
| Tuesday 30 June - 37 | Tuesday 30 June - 37 |
| Wednesday 1 July - 50 | Wednesday 1 July - 50 |
| Thursday 2 July - 35 | Thursday 2 July - 35 |
| Friday 3 July - 38 | Friday 3 July - 38 |
| Saturday 4 July - 39 | Saturday 4 July - 39 |
| Sunday 5 July - 18 | Sunday 5 July - 18 |
| Monday 6 July - 15 | Monday 6 July - 15 |
| Tuesday 7 July - 36 | Tuesday 7 July - 36 |
| The CEBR thinktank estimates that the stamp duty holiday will create 41,000 extra homes sales, by trimming £4,400 off the average cost of moving house. | The CEBR thinktank estimates that the stamp duty holiday will create 41,000 extra homes sales, by trimming £4,400 off the average cost of moving house. |
| It could also drag another 60,000 sales forward as people try to take advantage before it runs out next March. | It could also drag another 60,000 sales forward as people try to take advantage before it runs out next March. |
| Kay Daniel Neufeld, head of macroeconomics at CEBR, says the property market could struggle in 2021: | Kay Daniel Neufeld, head of macroeconomics at CEBR, says the property market could struggle in 2021: |
| Here’s the announcement, if you missed it earlier: | Here’s the announcement, if you missed it earlier: |
| The stamp duty cut only applies in England and Northern Ireland, on the first £500,000 – but the devolved governments in Wales and Scotland could choose to introduce it too. | The stamp duty cut only applies in England and Northern Ireland, on the first £500,000 – but the devolved governments in Wales and Scotland could choose to introduce it too. |
| The stamp duty holiday announced today has caused quite a stir in the property sector, with some industry figures warning it will distort the market in England and Northern Ireland. | The stamp duty holiday announced today has caused quite a stir in the property sector, with some industry figures warning it will distort the market in England and Northern Ireland. |
| David Westgate, CEO at consultancy Andrews Property Group, says it’s a “high-risk” move that could drive prices sharply higher in the short-term. | David Westgate, CEO at consultancy Andrews Property Group, says it’s a “high-risk” move that could drive prices sharply higher in the short-term. |
| Yorkshire Building Society’s strategic economist, Nitesh Patel, argues stamp duty should be reformed. Sunak’s temporarily cut will mainly help the south of England, he warns: | Yorkshire Building Society’s strategic economist, Nitesh Patel, argues stamp duty should be reformed. Sunak’s temporarily cut will mainly help the south of England, he warns: |
| Chris Denning, partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, reckons the holiday is too short to provide long-term help: | Chris Denning, partner at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, reckons the holiday is too short to provide long-term help: |
| The Treasury is still working on a separate plan to help the long-term unemployed, according to a line in the Plan for Jobs document (pdf). This is from Robert Colvile from the Centre for Policy Studies thinktank. | The Treasury is still working on a separate plan to help the long-term unemployed, according to a line in the Plan for Jobs document (pdf). This is from Robert Colvile from the Centre for Policy Studies thinktank. |
| Business groups like the chancellor’s announcement. | Business groups like the chancellor’s announcement. |
| Here is an extract from the response from Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the CBI director general. | Here is an extract from the response from Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the CBI director general. |
| And this is from Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce. | And this is from Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce. |
| Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at City firm IG, predicts that Rishi Sunak will need to produce more stimulus measures in the autumn budget. Today’s announcement won’t be enough to protect the economy... | Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at City firm IG, predicts that Rishi Sunak will need to produce more stimulus measures in the autumn budget. Today’s announcement won’t be enough to protect the economy... |
| Labour’s call for the furlough scheme to be extended beyond October has been backed by an unexpected ally - City firm JP Morgan. | Labour’s call for the furlough scheme to be extended beyond October has been backed by an unexpected ally - City firm JP Morgan. |
| Mike Bell, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management, argues that the chancellor is “giving with one hand, while taking away with the other”. | Mike Bell, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management, argues that the chancellor is “giving with one hand, while taking away with the other”. |
| He fears the new £1,000 jobs retention bonus, temporary VAT cut, stamp duty holiday and jobcentre support won’t make up for the removal of the support for furloughed staff, writing: | He fears the new £1,000 jobs retention bonus, temporary VAT cut, stamp duty holiday and jobcentre support won’t make up for the removal of the support for furloughed staff, writing: |
| Angela Merkel has said the European Union should prepare for talks with the UK to end in no deal. | Angela Merkel has said the European Union should prepare for talks with the UK to end in no deal. |
| Speaking in the European parliament in Brussels, the German chancellor said progress in talks had been “slim, to put it diplomatically”. She explained: | Speaking in the European parliament in Brussels, the German chancellor said progress in talks had been “slim, to put it diplomatically”. She explained: |
| Germany took over the rotating presidency of the EU council on 1 July and is likely to play an increasingly important role behind the scenes as talks enter a crucial stage in the autumn. | Germany took over the rotating presidency of the EU council on 1 July and is likely to play an increasingly important role behind the scenes as talks enter a crucial stage in the autumn. |
| Merkel did not refer to Boris Johnson’s own preferred July deadline, widely seen as unrealistic by the EU side. | Merkel did not refer to Boris Johnson’s own preferred July deadline, widely seen as unrealistic by the EU side. |
| Damian McBride, a Labour adviser who used to work as a civil servant at HM Revenue and Customs and then the Treasury, thinks the VAT cut for hospitality and tourism will turn out to be less generous than implied. | Damian McBride, a Labour adviser who used to work as a civil servant at HM Revenue and Customs and then the Treasury, thinks the VAT cut for hospitality and tourism will turn out to be less generous than implied. |
| Rishi Sunak is trying to save Britain from a mass unemployment crisis with a ‘turbocharged’ summer statement, writes our economics editor Larry Elliott: | Rishi Sunak is trying to save Britain from a mass unemployment crisis with a ‘turbocharged’ summer statement, writes our economics editor Larry Elliott: |
| More here: | More here: |