Coronavirus UK: MPs demand Government pay workers' wages

The Government must cover the wages of workers' threatened with the loss of their livelihoods due to the coronavirus, furious MPs demanded today. Conservative former business secretary Greg Clark called for immediate action through the current taxation system, warning that the £330billlion loan scheme announced by the Government is not enough to prevent firms from making staff redundant Businesses across the UK have been forced to close their doors as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on the economy, leaving workers at risk of ruin Treasury Secretary John Glen said that more measures to help workers would be announced as soon as possible as he faced increasing anger from MPs Last night the PM hinted every Briton could get cash payments from the government amid fears the coronavirus crisis could leave millions of people without jobs. Labour's Eltham MP Clive Efford asked Mr Glen this morning: 'What is hard to understand is how after six-and-a-half weeks, where we knew we might reach this stage, that the Government has got no idea what it's going to do to pay the wages of those people who are being laid off' However, while the PM said the package was 'unprecedented in peacetime', he has been warned that the government will need to go much further, with grim predictions that the coronavirus misery could last over a year. Some commuters were still struggling into work in London today despite speculation that the lockdown could be tightened An empty commuter train between Sussex and London this morning, amid fears the capital is about to be put into lockdown Empty shelves at a Sainsbury's supermarket in Northwich, where rationing is in place to ensure pensions can get supplies after panic buying caused shortages Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced yesterday that a weekly cash payment for British workers was being considered in the form of a 'universal basic income' More than 500 political figures and academics around the world have called for universal basic income in the fight against coronavirus, signing a letter published in The Independent today, while Labour leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey has also mooted the idea - but not given a suggested figure. Queues outside Sainsbury's in Hertford this morning as the coronavirus crisis causes chaos and panic across the country In Downing Street last night, Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak said they were acting like a 'wartime government' and would do 'whatever it takes' to keep the economy going Gordon Brown urges government to 'do more' on bailout Former prime minister and chancellor Gordon Brown has urged the Government to do 'considerably more' in the next 48 hours to protect people's jobs amid the coronavirus outbreak.