º£½ÇÊÓƵ

Measures to support millions of self-employed people affected by the coronavirus outbreak will be outlined in the next 24 hours, the Prime Minister has said.

The Government has come under increasing pressure to help up to five million self-employed people around the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, many of whom have been left without any income as the outbreak has led to a near shut down of the economy.

At the Government's daily press conference, Boris Johnson said that Chancellor Rishi Sunak would be announcing measures to support the self-employed on Thursday.

He said: “People do understand the complexity of working up those arrangements and it has been harder to come up with a tailored programme for the self-employed, but that's coming tomorrow.”

He added: “The Government has moved with extraordinary speed to support and prop up the whole of the economy of the country, putting our arms around workers of all kinds to the best extent we possibly can.

“It was easier to move furthest and fastest with employees because their PAYE details are available.

“It's been more complex to support the self employed because there are many different arrangements and it's been tricky to work out a package that will help as many people as possible. That's been done with incredible speed and Rishi Sunak will announce a package tomorrow.”

Mr Johnson reiterated pleas for as many as people as possible to work from home, and said that employers must ensure working conditions are safe.