John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to answers from the Chancellor and Treasury ministers in the House of Commons today on Coronavirus support, said:

“The government doesn’t seem to have the same sense of urgency that’s needed to provide the right level of support for many desperate self-employed workers.

“We have certainly not seen today from the government the package of support that so many self-employed affected by the Coronavirus crisis – taxi-drivers, child-minders, actors, and plumbers – were hoping for.

“The government has also failed to provide clarity on whether all zero-hours contract workers or agency workers are covered by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

“In the next 48 hours at the latest, the government must produce a set of proposals for the self-employed and other workers to ensure they are able to receive 80% of their wages.

“The self-employed deserve the same support and urgency as all other workers in our economy.”