What is a coronavirus "circuit breaker" and is it really inevitable? & Mi5 reveals role in Covid fight

<p>Boris Johnson's insisting his three-tier approach to tackling coronavirus<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/regional-circuit-breakers-boris-johnson-three-tiers-chance-a4570416.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> just needs time to prove it works</a>, but told the Commons earlier that he's "ruling nothing out" as pressure bears down on him to impose a "circuit breaker" approach. Some scientists, including the government's own SAGE advisors, say the draconian lockdown would be the most effective way to halt the infection's spread, but economists are warning it could have a catastrophic effect on businesses. Our deputy political editor Nicholas Cecil tells us why the PM faces a difficult balancing act, and why Sir Keir Starmer's calls for a circuit breaker are making it harder for the government to do it.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>Also,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/mi5-protecting-vaccine-research-foreign-states-a4570266.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MI5 is having to protect research into a coronavirus vaccine from interference by saboteurs</a>. Britain's top spy, Ken McCallum, also says the agency has been helping with building hospitals, and&nbsp;repurposing research originally done on toxic chemicals to help understand how Covid in droplets might disperse&nbsp;&nbsp;The Evening Standard's Martin Bentham joins the podcast to talk about the new role the service finds itself working within in a post-pandemic world.&nbsp;</p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>