The 'short, sharp shock’ is our best hope of halting the coronavirus pandemic - Greg Wright

Everyone who remembers listening to Chamberlain’s broadcast announcing the declaration of war in September 1939 will still be able to tell you where they were at the time, and the profound impact his words had on them and their loved ones.

Boris Johnson’s broadcast to the nation earlier this week, announcing what amounted to at least a partial lock-down of Britain, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, will rank alongside Chamberlain’s broadcast in our nation’s story.

It marked a change so profound that we are all struggling to take it in. I’m writing this from our home in Ilkley, where the town around me has fallen into a melancholy, uneasy silence. The sun is shining but we could be in the depths of night.

The advice from Government - and every reputable scientist and doctor on the planet - could not be simpler: Stay at home. The only people who should be moving around are those who MUST travel to protect lives and ensure we have enough to eat and drink.

The vast majority of people have heeded this warning. But the sight of commuters - presumably vital workers - crammed on to Tube trains in London, which is at the heart of our national emergency, must send shivers down our spines.

This crisis will only pass if employers do their bit and order non-essential staff to stay away from work.

There are many superb employers who are leading by example and going beyond the call of duty to protect the finances and wellbeing of their staff.

But, sadly, not every employer is wiling to behave honourably.

Union leaders are calling on the Government to intervene to stop companies forcing those in non-essential services to go to work.

There have been widespread reports of companies insisting that staff travel to work despite the Government’s instruction that no-one should leave home unless absolutely necessary.

The TUC said there should be more specific guidance on what jobs fall into the essential services category, and employers must be told their staff should not be travelling to work if their job is non-essential.

Workers should also be reassured they will not face disciplinary action or dismissal if they stay at home.

Rachel Reeves MP, who chairs the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee, has written to Business Secretary Alok Sharma calling for clearer guidance to help address concerns that workers are being forced to go to work or that their employer is not offering enough support.

Hundreds of people have contacted the committee raising concerns, including office-based staff, furniture manufacturers, travel agents, estate agents, law firms, and TV engineers.

These fears have broken down political barriers. The Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake told me via Twitter today: “The current rules on whether you can and should go to work or not are confusing.

He added: “I’ve had hundreds of businesses asking what the rules are. At the moment, the guidance is you can go to work if you can’t work from home and you can observe social distancing.

"People interpret this in different ways, hence the hoards of people in tourist hotspots like Filey last weekend. In my view, for public health and in the interest and business and the economy, we would be better of with the short, sharp shock of telling everyone to stay at home apart from workers critical to the battle against Covid-19.

“When they employed this in China on January 22, 14 days later cases peaked.”

"It is so much easier for business to plan for a 30 day shutdown than months of uncertainty that we may experience with the current approach."

The British are right to cherish their liberties and don’t take kindly to taking orders from officialdom. But we are facing a battle for survival.

For the sake of our vulnerable and elderly citizens, all non-essential workers must close the door on the outside world. It’s our best hope of halting the pandemic.