Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s original furlough scheme paid 80 per cent of wages up to a maximum of £2,500 a month

The Match of the Day star has taken the new guidelines to an ironic extreme.

The cunning fox is priced at 33/1 by Ladbrokes ahead of the health secretary, who is 50/1 to take the top job.

“Without a change, the NHS would have been overwhelmed within weeks and it would have been difficult if not impossible to cope in the winter months with the inevitable increase in caring for people with Covid as well as non-Covid illnesses."

“We have all already made huge sacrifices and we are in an increasingly precarious situation as hospital admissions grow each day."

The Prime Minister is expected to be joined by Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance in Downing Street at 5pm, following a meeting of his Cabinet earlier in the afternoon.

Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe said her solitary cell “gave me panic attacks” because she was claustrophobic, and that Iranian police had made threats concerning her young daughter Gabriella.

“Prevalence of the virus is currently lower in Scotland than in other parts of the UK and there are early signs that the tough restrictions in place since we moved quickly in late September have started to slow the rate of increase."

“The National Education Union called for a two-week circuit break over half-term to include schools, which the Wales Government and the Northern Ireland assembly have done – but the Government in Westminster has ignored this call."