Boris Johnson news - live: PM misses Rishi Sunak’s jobs announcement as No 10 denies rift with chancellor

‘Impossible’ to predict how many people will be supported by jobs scheme, Sunak says

Rishi Sunak has said it is “impossible” to predict how many people will be supported by the government’s new jobs scheme and declined to say which roles he thinks have now become unviable.

“It's impossible for me to predict given the uncertainty of the exact shape of the labour market,” the chancellor told a Downing Street press conference.

“When we started the furlough scheme it surprised everybody, economic commentators alike, the scale of the take-up of that.

“My expectation and hope is that this new scheme will be able to benefit large numbers of people and help protect their jobs through the difficult winter months, especially as demand is depressed in their companies.”

He added: “It's not for me to sit here and make pronouncements upon exactly what job is viable or not but what we do need to do is evolve our support now that we're through the acute phase of the crisis.”

Sunak: ‘I can't promise that everyone can go back to the job that they used to have’

Rishi Sunak has said he cannot promise that “everyone can go back to the job that they used to have” despite the support announced by the government today.

“We obviously can't sustain the same level of things that we were doing at the beginning of this crisis, but nor would it be right to do so either, because the situation has evolved,” the chancellor said.

“This is now something we know is going to be a fact of our lives for a while to come and that means the economy is going to change and adapt.

“I can't promise that everyone can go back to the job that they used to have.”

Mr Sunak said the government had set out a range of measures to help people find “a new future if the job that they used to have is not one that is going to be there for them now”.

However, he added that unemployment was likely to continue to rise, even with the latest emergency measures.

“I would be lying if I could try and give you precise numbers or time frames for what's going to happen when,” he told a Downing Street press conference.

“Unemployment is already rising and will continue to rise - that's a complete tragedy. We've already lost 700,000 jobs. Those people's security is now under threat.”

‘Difficult’ decisions to be made over paying for support schemes, Sunak says

The chancellor has said there will be “difficult” decisions to be made in the future over how to pay for the latest package of emergency measures to protect jobs.

“Over time and as the economy recovers we absolutely need to have an eye on our public finances and to make sure that we are in a strong and sustainable position,” Rishi Sunak said.

He added that decisions taken by previous chancellors - an apparent reference to austerity measures since 2010 - had put the public finances in a position which would allow him to act.

“That's what enabled me to react in this particular way, it reminds us of the importance of repairing public finances, having a strong economy, so that when problems like this come along you can throw a lot at them,” Mr Sunak said.

“But I will obviously have to make similar difficult decisions in the future as we get on a path back to sustainability, but right now the priority is supporting the economy, throwing everything we have got at protecting people's jobs and that's what I will continue to do.”

Sunak defends ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ over coronavirus spike suggestions

Rishi Sunak has defended his Eat Out To Help Out scheme after suggestions that the policy could have contributed to the recent spike in coronavirus infections by encouraging people to visit restaurants.

“In terms of the spread of the virus, if you see what's happening in our country, as you've heard from our scientific advisers, we're following similar paths to other countries in Europe,” he said.

“So I think it's probably simplistic to look at any one thing. What's happening here is similar to what's happening in many other countries.”

Mr Sunak added: “There are lots of things going on at the same time towards the last few weeks and as we get into a season for respiratory illnesses so there's going to be lots of different factors at play as to why the virus is acting in the way it is.

“But more broadly I don't think it's the wrong thing for the government or indeed people to want to try and get their lives back to normal.”

Rishi Sunak’s job support measures not enough, businesses warn

Pubs, bars and nightclubs are among the businesses warning that the government’s new measures to support jobs will not be enough to prevent further closures and a surge in unemployment.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s plans for self-employed workers have also been described as “woefully inadequate”, leaving contractors facing a “dark winter ahead”.

Our business reporter, Ben Chapman, has the full story below:

UK ‘turning blind eye to war crimes’ by Saudi Arabia, ministers told

The UK is “turning a blind eye to war crimes” committed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen, ministers have been told.

MPs called on the UK government to halt arms sales to the Saudis on Thursday over the crisis in Yemen following five years of civil war.

Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, which pitches Iran-backed Houthi rebels against a coalition led by Saudi Arabia in support of the internationally recognised government of Yemen.

“It's the view of many constituents in Ilford South that this government should hang its head in shame at its central role in helping to create the world's worst humanitarian crisis by training, equipping and enabling the Saudi regime to bomb innocent Yemeni civilians,” Labour’s Sam Tarry told the Commons.

“In the past five years alone, Britain has licenced almost £5bn worth of arms, mainly in the form of bombs and planes, to Saudi Arabia.

"In that same period, 60 per cent of all civilian deaths in Yemen have been caused by the Saudi-led coalition's bombing.

“Even moderate estimates put the number of deaths from Saudi airstrikes at more than 12,000.”

Mr Tarry added: “Saudi Arabia is being allowed to bomb Yemen without any form of accountability or investigation, which is completely unacceptable.”

Labour's Claudia Webbe also said British companies should “not be allowed to profit from the suffering of the people of Yemen” as she criticised the government’s “shameful” actions.

“With one hand they sign resolutions and speak of their desires to end the conflict, yet with the other they continue to facilitate the suffering of the Yemeni people, providing the weapons which rain down on civilian houses,” Ms Webbe said.

“It is about time the government listened and that they come here and account for their criminal acts.”

Will Rishi Sunak’s new job support scheme be enough to avert mass unemployment?

Whatever you do, don’t call it an extension - Ben Chu writes of the chancellor’s intervention earlier today. 

Having insisted for months that the furlough scheme would end in November come what may, Rishi Sunak was never going to stand up in the House of Commons to announce a simple rollover of the emergency jobs support system established earlier this year.

More from our economics editor below:

In Case You Missed It: Sunak’s statement in full

Earlier today the chancellor laid out his plans to temper the economic impacts of the virus through a range of policies.

Read his full statement to the commons below:

Government updates travel corridor list 

Denmark is among four countries being removed from the Government's quarantine exemption list, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

Restrictions are also being reimposed on arrivals from Iceland, Slovakia and the Caribbean island of Curacao due to rising coronavirus cases.

The 14-day self-isolation requirement for travellers arriving in England from any of those countries comes into force at 4am on Saturday.

No destinations have been added to the exemption list.

Shadow chancellor - wage subsidy offers little incentive

Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has raised concerns that Rishi Sunak's wage subsidy scheme may not offer employers a sufficient incentive to keep staff on.

In an interview with the Politico website, the Labour MP said: "That system of wage support, now that we've looked further into it I have to say I'm concerned."

Some critics have warned that employers would be financially worse off by keeping two employees on working half their usual hours under the scheme than keeping one worker on full time.

Ms Dodds said: "The percentages don't seem to be properly calibrated. There doesn't seem to be sufficient Government support relative to the employer contribution to act as a strong enough incentive."