(Souce: BBC News)
The UK faces a "medical and moral disaster" unless tough action is taken now to stop the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said. He told MPs there was "no alternative" but to introduce a national lockdown - which is due to begin on Thursday - to prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed.
MPs will vote on the plans in the Commons on Wednesday. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the PM of a "catastrophic failure of leadership" over the pandemic.
Sir Keir - who started calling for a short lockdown or circuit-breaker in October - criticised the government's "inaction", saying it meant the lockdown would be "harder, longer and more damaging than it needed to be".
The prime minister was speaking in the Commons two days after announcing the lockdown at a televised press conference.
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