Rishi Sunak’s £30bn lifeline for tourism and jobs – The Yorkshire Post says

It is also indicative of the Chancellor’s desire to be defined – politically, economically and socially – by his response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

These measures are in addition to Mr Sunak’s pioneering job retention scheme, and which is now being superseded by a new cash incentive to encourage firms to bring ‘furloughed’ staff back into employment.

They’re also part of a concerted effort to support young people. As well as policies for the hospitality sector, Mr Sunak’s Kickstart scheme – incentives for employers to take on new recruits aged 18 to 24 – tries to prevent the spectre of youth unemployment scarring a generation.

It was first indicated to this newspaper last month.

All this, together with a cut to housing stamp duty, buys time before the Richmond MP has to deliver Budget and spending review later in the year when the impact on taxes, and key services, might be clearer.

Mr Sunak will be hoping the confidence generated by his statement, as opposed to Labour’s cynicism and scepticism, provides a short-term lift to offset longer-term damage.

That means Mr Sunak making sure that his measures reach their intended recipients without unnecessary delay after the economy shrank by a quarter – he, for one, knows this can be a frustrating process.

But this blueprint, and also the decision to curtail the current furlough scheme in the face of trenchant Labour opposition, is also contingent on Britain avoiding a ‘second wave’ of Covid cases.

For, if this was to happen, it won’t even be ‘job done’ – the phrase used by Mr Sunak – but back to square one for the country. And Chancellor.

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