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The Prime Minister has sanctioned an unprecedented scheme to protect millions of pay as you earn and self-employed workers worth tens of billions of pounds. And with the European Commission also preparing for a huge surge in unemployment, Ursula von der Leyen has unveiled her own rescue package. The bloc’s most senior official is hoping to borrow £88.5billion to help cover lost earnings to allow companies who have lost business because of the global pandemic to drastically reduce their workers’ hours.

In a daily social media address, the European Commission president said the continent was suffering from the “greatest human tdradigies since the wars” in a vow to help people get back on their feet. She added: “Millions of people cannot go to work but they still have to buy groceries and pay the bill. Companies are paying salaries to their employments even if right now they are not making money. “Europe is now coming to their support with a new initiative, it is called SURE.” Brussels is hoping to keep “millions of people in their jobs” by by covering their lost earnings and also teaching them new skills in the coming months.

UK blocked from EU's latest unemployment rescue package

Boris Johnson's EU divorce deal stops UK taking on new liabilities from bloc's spending

But it has emerged Britain will not be able to cash in on the proposal despite still paying into the EU budget as part of the post-Brexit transition scheme. An early proposal, which is due to be signed off by the EU Commission’s top bureaucrats tomorrow, makes clear the UK will not be included in the programme as a member state. It states: “This Regulation shall not be applicable to and in the United Kingdom. “References to Member States in this Regulation shall not be understood as including the United Kingdom.”

Ursula von der Leyen today announced a rescue plan for paying laid off workers

The UK currently sends around £1 billion a month to help top up the EU’s budget while the country remains in the bloc’s single market and customs union. Under the terms of Mr Johnson’s EU Withdrawal Agreement, the UK is only liable for its share of projects decided upon before January 31, 2020. This means future contingent liabilities racked up by European capitals are no longer expected to be shared with UK taxpayers. But in turn this means Britain is barred from the Commission’s new unemployment scheme because member states are expected to shoulder the burden of the debts accrued by Brussels. MUST READ: Boris Johnson told NOT to seek Brexit delay amid coronavirus outbreak

Worldwide coronavirus deaths and cases

Just last week Mr Johnson refused to join the EU’s ventilator procurement scheme despite facing intense pressure over missed opportunities to secure more of the machines. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove insisted there was nothing in the bloc’s scheme that couldn’t be done by the UK as an independent nation. The Prime Minister’s team had previously claimed the Commission had sent email invitations to its programme to out-of-date Department of Health and Social Care addresses. DON'T MISS

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