LONDON, June 30 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday announced a 5-billion-pound (about 6.2-billion-U.S. dollar) plan to fuel economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
In a speech in Dudley, a city close to Birmingham in the West Midlands region, Johnson said the government "is wholly committed not just to defeating coronavirus, but to using this crisis finally to tackle this country's great unresolved challenges of the last three decades."
At a podium decorated with the slogan "build, build, build", Johnson noted the new plan is an "infrastructure revolution" to "build and rebuild those vital connexions to every part of the UK."
According to a statement from 10 Downing Street, the massive plan covers hospital maintenance, road network, school rebuilding and courts upgrades, through a bold program of "national renewal, uniting and levelling up the UK".
In his speech, Johnson regarded coronavirus crisis as the biggest and most immediate economic challenge that Britain faces.
"We must work fast because we have already seen the vertiginous drop in GDP and we know that people are worried now about their jobs and their businesses," he said.
"We will not be responding to this crisis with what people called austerity," Johnson added, "next week the Chancellor (of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak) will be setting out immediate plan to support the economy through the first phase of recovery," he said.
Johnson also said the government will continue and step up the biggest ever program of funding the National Health Service (NHS) and Health Secretary Matt Hancock will set out the list of 40 new hospitals in the next few days.
Britain's economy shrunk by a record 20.4 percent in April as a result of lockdown measures. Ruth Gregory, senior UK economist from the London-based economic research consultancy Capital Economics, said the prime Minister's announcement signals that the British government's intention is to sustain the fiscal stimulus further ahead, rather than lurch towards fiscal austerity as it did after the global financial crisis.
国际英语资讯:EIB pledges billions of euros to Greece in 2020
体坛英语资讯:Coach Stojkovic leaves Guangzhou R&F
体坛英语资讯:Haddadi replaces Yakhchali in Nanjings CBA roster
国际英语资讯:Parliament of North Macedonia ratifies NATO accession protocol
小改变带你收获健康
国内英语资讯:Vice premier stresses stable employment amid epidemic
情人节给爱人做一顿美食?别忘记铺一块好看的桌布
体坛英语资讯:World Cup champion Fan Zhendong close to world championships berth
国内英语资讯:China stresses winning battle against poverty while fighting epidemic
国际英语资讯:U.S. Senate passes resolution limiting Trumps power to launch military operations against
国内英语资讯:Spokesperson urges U.S. politicians to stop smearing China
体坛英语资讯:Argentina defender Insua completes Galaxy move
体坛英语资讯:Hazard out for another week, no disaster not to win trophy, says Zidane
国际英语资讯:Spotlight: Israeli tourism exhibition highlights potential of Chinese market
My Favorite Animal 我最喜欢的动物
国际英语资讯:Commentary: Time to build positive momentum in China-U.S. ties
体坛英语资讯:Varane the man as Real Madrid win in Getafe
体坛英语资讯:Kipyegon eyes Tokyo gold ahead of return to training
国内英语资讯:Vice premier calls for all-round efforts to battle epidemic in Wuhan, Hubei
国际英语资讯:Ukrainian President Zelensky hopes for elections in E. Ukraine this fall
为什么情人节要送巧克力?
国内英语资讯:Premier Li inspects epidemic prevention, control work at Beijing train station
国际英语资讯:Pakistani govt announces subsidy to rein in rampant inflation
国际英语资讯:UN Security Council endorses outcome of Berlin Conference on Libya
国际英语资讯:UK chancellor of the exchequer resigns amid major cabinet reshuffle
国内英语资讯:Xi, Malaysian PM talk over phone on novel coronavirus epidemic
国际英语资讯:Zelensky, Putin discuss Donbass ceasefire by telephone
国际英语资讯:Roundup: U.S. Attorney General Barr under fire over cases linked with Trumps former allies
国内英语资讯:Coronavirus-hit city in Hubei to take strictest control measures
国外训练工智能做菜,写出来的食谱也太奇葩了