Coronavirus – PM pledges to ‘build back better’ post-virus

Coronavirus – Boris Johnson will promise to “build back better” as he unveils government plans to soften the economic impact of coronavirus.

Speaking in the West Midlands, the prime minister will say he wants to use the coronavirus crisis “to tackle this country’s great unresolved challenges”.

As part of a “new deal”, Mr Johnson will set out plans to “bring forward” £5bn on infrastructure projects.

Labour called for a “laser-like focus” on preventing job losses.

The prime minister’s speech comes as BBC analysis found that the UK was the hardest hit of all the G7 major industrialised nations by the virus in the weeks leading up to early June.

In April, the UK economy shrunk by a record 20.4% as a result of the spread of coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown measures.

In a bid to boost the country’s financial outlook, Mr Johnson will pledge to put jobs and infrastructure at the centre of the government’s economic growth with a commitment to “build, build, build”.

Aiming to emulate the New Deal policies of the depression-era American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mr Johnson will say he wants a government that “puts its arms around people at a time of crisis”.

In the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, President Roosevelt launched one of the largest, most expensive US government programmes which included building schools, hospitals and dams.

Mr Johnson will say he wants to use the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to “to build the homes, to fix the NHS, to tackle the skills crisis, to mend the indefensible gap in opportunity and productivity and connectivity between the regions of the UK”.

“Too many parts of this country have felt left behind, neglected, unloved, as though someone had taken a strategic decision that their fate did not matter as much as the metropolis.

“And so I want you to know that this government not only has the vision to change this country for the better, we have a mission to unite and level up.”

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