UK politics news - live: Rishi Sunak says employers will be asked to pay more in furlough scheme

Rishi Sunak has announced a tapering of the coronavirus furlough scheme that he said he believed had “made a real difference” to the UK’s economic prospects. There is now a consensus that the scheme cannot continue as-is, he claimed.

Employer contributions to wages and NI are to rise in September and October, and freelancers will be able to claim another £6,570. “A new, more flexible furlough” is now in the works, Mr Sunak added. Workers can return part-time without losing any furlough payments from July – a month earlier than planned, following lobbying from businesses.

“Today, a new national effort begins” to restart Britain’s economy, the chancellor told Friday’s briefing.