Tory former chancellor Lord Lamont has urged the Government to recognise the “awkward truth” that the UK economy will not recover until social distancing ends.
The Conservative peer cautioned over the coronavirus preventative measure becoming part of the “new normal”, given that large parts of the economy, such as the hospitality industry, could not properly operate while it remained in force. Speaking during a virtual House of Lords question time, Lord Lamont said: “Will the Government recognise that there are whole sectors of the economy – hospitality accounting for 10% of the labour force, airlines, transport – that simply cannot operate with social distancing profitability.
