Summary

  • Plans include a new £2bn scheme to create thousands of job placements for young people

  • The chancellor announces a temporary change to stamp duty - immediately increasing the threshold to £500,000

  • Temporary cut to VAT on food, accommodation and attractions from 20% to 5% is announced

  • Chancellor announces new job retention bonus for employers who bring back furloughed staff

  • But Labour says the chancellor has "put off big decisions" and should have announced a "back to work Budget"

  • A £2bn "green homes grant" to help make homes more energy efficient is also unveiled

  • “Eat out to help out” vouchers that will give diners 50% off their meals out, with conditions, for August

  1. Starmer calls for free NHS staff car parking to continuepublished at 12:17 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Keir StarmerImage source, HoC

    For his final question, Sir Keir turns to reports that free car parking for NHS staff at hospitals, introduced during the pandemic, will end.

    Sir Keir says this would be "wrong" and calls on the PM to rule this out.

    In reply, Boris Johnson says parking is "free now" for staff and accuses Sir Keir of jumping on the "latest bandwagon".

    He says the government will get on with implementing a manifesto commitment for free car parking for patients that need it.

  2. PMQs: Government was 'too slow to act'published at 12:16 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Keir StarmerImage source, HoC

    During PMQs, Sir Keir Starmer also said the government made "huge mistakes" on care homes despite "repeated warnings from the care sector" and adds the decision to discharge people to care homes without tests was "clearly a mistake".

    "His government was simply too slow to act full stop," he says.

    Boris Johnson says the understanding of the disease "changed dramatically" and defends his government's record.

    He says the supply of PPE and increase in testing have "helped them get the incidence of disease down to record lows".

    He then accuses the Labour leader of changing his mind on easing lockdown rules.

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  3. PM: I take responsibility for Covid-19 strategypublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    Sir Keir Starmer says the government has "wasted" ten years in office without coming up for a plan for social care reform.

    He says the PM has "ducked responsibility" for the 19,000 who have died with Covid-19 in care homes.

    Boris Johnson repeats the government "takes responsibility for everything we've done through this crisis".

    He says a "fantastic" effort has also seen weekly tests introduced for care home staff.

  4. PM 'rubbing salt into wound' of care workerspublished at 12:10 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    Sir Keir Starmer accuses the PM of "rubbing salt into the wounds of the very people for whom he clapped" by not apologising.

    He asks what the prime minister will say to care workers who feel let down.

    Boris Johnson replies "this government appreciates the incredible work they have done."

    "We will invest in our care homes and we will reform the care home system," he promises.

  5. 'Not the case' I was blaming care staff - PMpublished at 12:09 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Keir StarmerImage source, HoC

    Sir Keir Starmer says the PM has not offered an apology and it "just won't wash".

    It was "clear what he was saying", he adds.

    Sir Keir again calls on the PM to apologise to care workers.

    Boris Johnson repeats it is "not the case" he was blaming care workers for deaths in the sector.

    He says asymptomatic transmission of the virus was originally not known, and guidance was changed after it was discovered.

  6. Starmer urges PM to apologise for care home commentspublished at 12:08 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Boris JohnsonImage source, HoC

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer begins by telling MPs that the PM's comments about care homes "caused huge offence".

    On Monday the PM said "too many care homes didn't really follow procedures".

    Sir Keir asks the prime minister if he will apologise for his remarks.

    "The last thing I wanted to do was to blame care workers," replies Boris Johnson.

    He says care workers "worked incredibly hard during this crisis" adding "I take full responsibility for what has happened."

  7. PM defends record on modern slaverypublished at 12:05 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Anna McMorrinImage source, HoC

    Labour's Anna McMorrin asks about allegations of modern slavery at clothing factories used by "fast fashion" companies.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the government has introduced legislation against this, and raised the minimum wage.

    He says he hopes the Labour mayor of Leicester - where allegations have been made - will want to clamp down on bad practices.

  8. PMQs startspublished at 12:02 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Sir Lindsay HoyleImage source, HoC

    Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle now announces the beginning of Prime Minister's Questions.

    And Boris Johnson takes to the despatch box.

  9. PM heads to the House of Commonspublished at 11:53 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    Boris JohnsonImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    Here is Boris Johnson leaving Downing Street for PMQs

  10. Will Starmer ask about care homes at PMQs?published at 11:53 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    Before the chancellor's statement we have Prime Minister's Questions - kicking off at 12:00 BST.

    One of the subjects Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer could chose to go on is Boris Johnson's comments about care homes.

    On Monday the prime minister was accused of trying to shift the blame for coronavirus deaths onto care homes when he said "too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures".

    Mark Adams, who runs the charity Community Integrated Care, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the prime minister's comments were "cowardly" and a "travesty of leadership".

    But Downing Street said Mr Johnson had been pointing out that not enough was known about the virus in the early stages of the outbreak.

  11. How has coronavirus hit the UK economy?published at 11:44 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    NewcastleImage source, PA

    The chancellor faces a difficult task as he tries to ensure the UK recovers from the economic blow inflicted by the coronavirus.

    Here is a reminder of how the UK's finances have been hit:

    • Between January and March, the UK economy contracted by 2.2% - the joint largest fall since 1979
    • That contraction was three times greater than the decline seen during the whole of the 2008 to 2009 economic downturn.
    • The service sector - which accounts for about three-quarters of UK GDP - shrank by a record 2.3%.
    • And production output fell by 1.5% driven by declines in manufacturing as factories temporarily shut down
    • Around 8.4 million workers are having 80% of their salaries paid for by the government under the furlough scheme
    • According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the UK is likely to be the hardest hit by Covid-19 among major economies

    Read more about the global economic impact of coronavirus here.

  12. What is in Sunak's shopping listpublished at 11:28 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    Laura Kuenssberg
    Political editor

    Rishi SunakImage source, Reuters

    We have a good idea of Rishi Sunak's shopping list.

    Extra cash for employers to take on trainees and apprentices, likely changes to stamp duty and perhaps cuts to VAT for some sectors.

    And there is room too for some Treasury old favourites, like subsidies for green insulation.

    Government insiders hope there will be something left as a surprise for the chancellor to deliver at the end of his moment in the House of Commons at lunchtime on Wednesday.

    But until that concludes, the question hangs, not just over the narrative of a single day, but how radical this government is willing to be.

    Read more from Laura here.

  13. Good morningpublished at 11:24 British Summer Time 8 July 2020

    Rishi SunakImage source, Reuters
    Image caption,

    The chancellor leaving No 11

    Welcome to our live coverage of the Chancellor's summer update.

    Rishi Sunak left No11 a little earlier.

    But before the main event, we have Prime Minister's Questions.

    We'll take you through all the events in the Commons this afternoon, and bring your our analysis of all the key points in the chancellor's economic recovery plan.