Rishi Sunak warns a national lockdown will have ‘economic and social impacts

Chancellor Rishi Sunak told MPs in the House of Commons on Wednesday that if England goes into a second national lockdown, this will have heavy consequences for the economy.

Sunak warned that a second national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus will carry heavy economic and social costs across England.

HE told MPs, “We cannot allow the virus to take hold. We must prevent the strain on our NHS becoming unbearable. But we must also acknowledge the stark reality of the economic and social impacts of another national lockdown.

“The costs of doing so are not abstract, they are real. They can be counted in jobs lost, businesses closed and children’s education harmed.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his position in not introducing a circuit breakers across England after SAGE advised him to do so.

Previously Johnson said that he will follow the science, but he told the House of Commons on Wednesday that he will not “close businesses” in areas where the infection rate is low.

He said that a regional system will bring down the virus rates which will “avoid the misery of another national lockdown.”

The government’s scientific advisory group recommended that there should be a circuit breaker as early as 21 September.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of “abandoning the science.” Sir Keir also back the two or three weeks lockdown.