Coronavirus: The day the UK closed and what it means for us all

Calling Peston: The ITV News Politics Podcast

ITV News

Government, Politics, News

4.2 • 177 Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2020

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Quite simply, it's been an extraordinary week - and Calling Peston is now moving to Fridays as we cover the political and economic aspects of the coronavirus pandemic. Daniel and Shehab talk about the unprecedented measures to help the UK cope with the coronavirus pandemic which were announced by the government on Friday. For the first time in history, the government will step in and pay workers' wages amid economic uncertainty ushered in by the Covid-19 outbreak. There'll be no more socialising for the foreseeable future with Friday's announcement by the prime minister that all pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes must close. Robert - who is self-isolating - explains how the government plans to manage all of this and afford the measures it's announced. We also speak to ITV News Europe Editor James Mates, who recently reported from Italy, one of the worst-hit countries, explains why the situation there is so bad.

Transcript

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0:00.0	A week is a long time in politics. The last time we spoke to you on this podcast feels like a lifetime ago.
0:08.0	This evening, Friday the 20th of March, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has told, not advised,
0:13.0	restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close tonight and not reopen tomorrow.
0:20.0	The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has, for the first
0:22.6	time in British history, announced that the government will step in and pay people's wages.
0:27.7	We may be running out of words to describe the times we are now living in, but we will do our
0:31.7	best on this podcast to find them for you. I'm Daniel Hewitt. I'm at home, working, not in
0:36.9	self-isolation. I'll shortly be joined by
0:38.8	my colleague, Shee Howe Khan, who was at that historic press conference in Downing Street. We would
0:43.0	of course be calling Robert Peston. He's also at home. He is in self-isolation, following
0:48.6	government advice after his partner showed coronavirus symptoms, but you will not want to miss
0:53.6	his analysis. And I'll be speaking
0:55.2	to James Maita, Europe editor, who's been following the unfolding horror story in Italy, where the
0:59.9	grip of coronavirus is tightening by the day. Okay, let's get straight into it, shall we? Shehab has
1:05.1	been at the press conference, that historic press conference, where Boris Johnson and Rishishishanak
1:09.6	were delivering those two absolutely
1:11.1	massive announcements. Sheehab, I'm hoping you there. Are you there? I am here. I've literally
1:17.1	just walked out of Downing Street as the press conference has ended. And you are right to say
1:21.4	it was historic. And as the Chancellor, kept repeating unprecedented. Yeah, it was. Before we carry on,
1:26.8	Sheab, I want to remind,
1:28.8	or let listeners know that Lewis is also here, not literally here in my house. That would be
1:33.4	mad. He's in his own house. Lewis, so we're all in different places. We are, yeah. Hello,
	...

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