Coronavirus measures ‘disaster for society’ and second wave will cause ‘depression and despair’, says former Tory leader

THE coronavirus lockdown has been a "disaster for our society" and a second wave will cause "depression and despair", a former Tory leader warns.

Lord Hague says the lockdown measures will cause economic “catastrophe” for hundreds of thousands of people as new unemployment figures - set to be released today - will reveal the full extent of the disaster.

The former foreign secretary penned a response to the crisis in , likening lockdown to Dunkirk and describing it as “a heroic operation, but the result of a massive failure”.

Lord Hague boldly called for the two metre rule to be scrapped as well as the “belated” quarantine policy in order to save the economy.

"It is not necessary to have a two-metre separation between people to keep the virus in retreat where it is already at a low level," he writes.

"We know this from the experience of countries such as Denmark, France and Germany where the recommended distance is shorter, and we should not have to spend weeks agonising over it."

'NO SECOND LOCKDOWN'

He continues to paint a bleak picture of the consequences of lockdown to date, including “depression, family breakdown and despair” as well as undetected cancers, social tension, poverty, debt and missed education.

In his column, Lord Hague writes: “We now know that a lockdown is not a temporary blip or a paid holiday, but a disaster for our society.

Lockdown is not a temporary blip or a paid holiday, but a disaster for our society.

Lord Hague

"It is increasing inequality, social tension, and unaffordable debt.

“Such a disaster cannot under any circumstances be repeated. There can be no second lockdown.”

He adds: “A lockdown is like Dunkirk – a heroic operation in itself but the result of a massive failure.

"I am not singling out the Government for that, for this has been a failure at multiple levels: a failure by the whole world to prevent the trading of wild animals for consumption; by China to report the initial outbreak openly; by our and many other countries to prepare for this type of pandemic.”

A lockdown is like Dunkirk – a heroic operation in itself but the result of a massive failure.

Lord Hague

Lord Hague urged the Government to introduce mass testing for millions of people a week to avoid the “brutal costs” of shutting down the economy again if there is a second peak of the virus.

The advice echoes that of Tony Blair who last month warned there was a risk of the disease resurging when the lockdown starts to be eased.

“Prepare now for testing on a truly massive scale," Hague urges.

The initiative “involving millions of tests every week as people enter the country, arrive at work, attend conferences or just decide to go out” would surely cost billions.

However, Hague argues it is a far cheaper alternative than another lockdown.

Tensions have mounted within the Conservative Party over the Government’s handling of the crisis.

Increasing numbers of Tory MPs have urged Boris Johnson to reduce the two metre distancing in favour of alternative precautions such as using face masks.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has pushed to relax lockdown measures while the PM's chief adviser Dominic Cummings has urged more caution.

'RECORD MONTHLY JOBLESS RISE'

The Office for National Statistics is set to release the first official figures unemployment figures since the start of the pandemic, which is expected to show a record monthly rise in jobless numbers.

Lord Hague writes: “The unemployment figures about to be released represent a personal catastrophe for hundreds of thousands of people.

“Large rounds of corporate redundancies mean worse is to come. For many individuals, lockdown is going to mean depression, family breakdown and despair.

“On top of this, we can now be sure that there will be tens of thousands of undetected cancers. Evidence is mounting that domestic abuse is rising, and mental health deteriorating.

“Above all, the education and development of millions of young people has been severely damaged, and they will carry the scars of that for the rest of their long lives.”

In March the official unemployment figure stood at 1.29million, but Tuesday's figures will likely outstrip the two previous biggest monthly rises in unemployment numbers in April 2013 and March 2009, both of which saw increases of more than 220,000.