Coronavirus diary, Friday 10 July

Rishi dishing out the money: the Chancellor serves in Wagamama

Jobs, jobs, jobs. The government's latest slogan.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has dipped into his treasure chest - plucked from his magic money tree? - £30 billion to revive our stricken economy by saving and creating jobs.

A masterly conjurer, he has surprised us with sleight of hand, producing money from sleeves and pockets.

Adventurous and clever.

And, as he admits, it needs to work. 

Britain is in a dire state with industries and businesses of all sizes shedding jobs at an alarming rate - 20,000 this week including over a thousand in Wales.

To check it, the Chancellor has offered incentives to employers not to sack the millions when his successful furlough scheme ends in October. The problem is they have to pay an increasing proportion of the wages as it winds down.

Another boost is £1,000 for employers for each furloughed employee they keep on, and £2 billion for apprenticeships and measures to help under 25 year olds, most at risk of long term unemployment.

There is relief at last - £1.8 billion worth - for the hospitality industry, VAT temporarily cut from 20 to 5 percent and, the most unusual gift from a chancellor, half price meals out from Monday to Wednesday in August. 

All intended to get us spending.

Most of the massive handouts apply to England but extra money has been allocated to Wales to meet costs of the services here. 

The Welsh government say they will not be forced to change  the timing of  relaxing restrictions on holidays and hospitality services, still to be announced.

The generous Mr Sunak is a realist. He admits that while he can offer hope he cannot rescue the economy.The situation and  future looks dire, he admits.

And inevitably there is criticism, with his latest package judged too general and not specific enough to cover millions of employees. 

He is taking a gamble which for his, and for Britain's sake, must not fail.