today at six — the chancellor's stark assessment of the cost of the pandemic on the uk's economy. he says it will do lasting damage — more borrowing than at any point in the uk's peacetime history. our health emergency is not yet over. and our economic emergency has only just begun. in its response to this pandemic the conservative government has wasted and mismanaged public finances on an industrial scale. we'll be loooking at the impact on people and places, including the 2.5 million expected to be out of work next year. also tonight...

going at them again, brilliant run by maradona! the argentinian soccer legend diego maradona dies — his mesmerising skill took his country to world cup glory. the desperate search to find enough ppe at the start of the pandemic — and why it cost the taxpayer an extra £10 billion. meghan speaks about the unbearable grief of having a miscarriage injuly — she says the subject is still taboo. coming up in sport on bbc news, more reaction from the sporting world, as one of the greatest footballers of all time, diego maradona, dies at the age of 60. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the chancellor couldn't

have been clearer — the uk is entering an economic emergency the likes of which we have not seen for 300 years. delivering his spending review, rishi sunak spelt out how the financial cost of the pandemic will have a lasting impact on the nation's finances. the numbers tell the story. next year, more than 2.5 million people could be out of work. and this year alone, the government will be borrowing nearly £400 billion. there are tough times ahead for some public sector workers in england who can expect a pay freeze, though nhs staff and those earning less than £24,000 will be exempt. but despite the grim forecasts, there was £3 billion promised for the restart programme, that's to help the unemployed find work. and a further £4 billion to target investment in areas that have lost out in the past. 0ur political editor, laura kuenssberg, reports on a spending review like no other.

how bad is it looking chancellor? the straight answer, very bad. the chancellor's smooth political style cannot hide what has been lacking in number 11 spreadsheets. part one of the pandemic was a profound risk to oui’ the pandemic was a profound risk to our health, part two, the cost of covid, a nightmare starting to unfold. the economic emergency has only just unfold. the economic emergency has onlyjust begun. unfold. the economic emergency has only just begun. a unfold. the economic emergency has onlyjust begun. a blizzard of serious predictions about how the country's income will hurt. the largest fall in output for more than 300 years. not expected to return to precrisis levels until the fourth quarter of 2022. underlying debt is forecast to continue rising in every year. in other words, the economy has been hammered by coronavirus, and the most direct cost, many will pay with theirjobs. the obr expects

unemployment to peak at 7.5% next year. 2.6 million people. unemployment won't have reached that level for a decade. around 1.3 million public sector staff outside the nhs will have their wages frozen. i cannot justify the nhs will have their wages frozen. i cannotjustify a significant across—the—board pay increase for all public sector workers. instead, we are targeting oui’ workers. instead, we are targeting our resources at those who need it most. but, how tojustify breaking the government's promise on the aid budget for the world's tourist? sticking rigidly to spending 0.7% of our national income on overseas aid is difficult to justify to the british people. awkward for some ministers who have stood by the targets. 0ne even quit. but there are big promises. we in government can set the direction, better schools, more homes, safer streets,

but it is the individual, and the community that must become stronger, healthier and happier as a result. there's £4 billion for a infrastructure report that mps can build from four local projects, and cash to help people find work, 3 billion more for the nhs to catch up after covid, money for the additional police promised last year but no getting away from the shadows of the shutdown. coronavirus closed and much of the economy. massive borrowing to get it through is manageable for now because of rock bottom interest rates but that may not last for ever. there could be a lot of pain ahead. earlier this year the chancellor stood on his doorstep and clap for key workers. today his government institutes the pay freeze for many of them. this takes a sledgehammer to consumer confidence. we need a comprehensive spending review which takes responsible choices, to build a future for our

country as the best place on the world to grow up in, and the best place to grow old in. he certainly doesn't want a bigger hole in the economy. just like chancellors in other countries, rishi sunak has borrowed and spent vast sums because of the pandemic. the predictions today are based on a vaccine being rolled out and there being a brexit deal, too. the chancellor needs to do more to plan for the future, to make sure that he can anticipate what might come in the coming year, and what is missing from the spending review altogether is the impact of brexit. this has failed to live up to the promises and rhetoric the government has been exercising these past few months, we were promised, wales as well as the other parts of the uk that we would see levelling up. there is no evidence of that today being the case. certainly, no one in parliament will push ministers to pay it back right now, but with so much uncertain, the disease so hard to predict, even the

mighty treasury may have to watch and wait. the office for budget responsibility has calculated that the uk economy will shrink by more than 11% this year alone. meanwhile, the government has been spending hundreds of billions of pounds of borrowed cash to cope with the pandemic. as our economics editor faisal islam reports, we've hardly started to pay that back. grim economic numbers are no surprise to anyone looking out on the high street. in wakefield, yorkshire, months of pandemic uncertainty have seen the spread of the tell—tale to let sign. here in one of the so—called blue wall seats, locals have mixed feelings about the government was not coming pay squeeze. well, he's got to do what he thinks is best for the country at the moment, because of the state we are in. the people that have done the hard work during covid that you get the pay rises, it is

the public sector workers. today's forecast shows the economy set to shrink by over 11% this year, a three century record, and recovering more slowly next year, meaning an annual increase in borrowing early due seen during world wars, nearly £400 billion, 19% of the size of the national economy, a staggering figure, and the interest bill to pay for it is also tumbling. at historic and frankly unimaginable a sum of the numbers are, both the hits to the numbers are, both the hits to the economy and the huge rise in borrowing, there are, in the past, but they are so big that they are going to have an impact for years to come, but there's this other record, a record low how cheap it would be to actually pay for this massive debt, and that buys time for the chancellor, and means relatively small down payments on shrinking the borrowing is all that is required. but where the economy goes depends. unemployment is expected to go up to 7.596, unemployment is expected to go up to

7.5%, asa unemployment is expected to go up to 7.5%, as a result of the crisis. the forecast achieves progress on a vaccine and functioning testing systems and without that the economy and jobs picture gets worse, peaking at 11%. with better than expected health progress, unemployment barely goes up at all. the government was not official forecaster acknowledges the uncertainty, the economy at the certainty of medical developments and an imminent decision on a post brexit trade deal. if no vaccine proves effective and we end up leaving the eu without a deal and trading on wto terms that would be a 6% economy and the fact that we are living with the disease with a 2% hit given that we are falling out with our largest trading partner on wto terms. the chancellor is committing huge amounts to deal with the pandemic and get the economy back to normal, but for teachers earning above average wages, police officers, prison officers, that has been frozen, on—site cuts to eight. backin been frozen, on—site cuts to eight. back in wakefield, this council

worker married to a teacher says that he feels the return of austerity. it is a bit of a kick in the teeth, really. i have worked like many of my colleagues throughout the pandemic as a key worker. it feels like public sector workers are being punished again by the government, for a crisis that was not of our making. the lowest paid were protected, but the economic shadow of covid—19 will last not just this economic shadow of covid—19 will last notjust this christmas but many future festive seasons. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg joins us from westminster now. the chancellor laid it out and eye watering detail. is he preparing us for tough times ahead? every now and then chancellors come to this place and set out numbers that draw a new line, reset the dial somewhat. it has been no secret to many, looking around our own high streets, towns and villages that coronavirus has had a very serious effect on the economy. that has been absolutely

clear for economy. that has been absolutely clearfor months, economy. that has been absolutely clear for months, but hearing economy. that has been absolutely clearfor months, but hearing in detailfrom the clearfor months, but hearing in detail from the chancellor what the potential long—term damage might be, and in particular, that as many as 2.6 million people might find themselves out of work next year, really spelled—out just how tricky and potentially how precarious the economic picture might be. it is important to know, as was suggested, the government can't keep borrowing like this for a long time. record interest rates at rock bottom have allowed him to do that, so there is no political urgency about the chancellor suddenly raising taxes or suddenly really cutting back on public spending, but it is also the question now, completely answered, obviously, that the dominant conversation for the next few years here is going to be how the government climbs out of this economic hole, and it is interesting to night. there has been remarkably little controversy about the levels of spending the chancellor has been undertaking in the last few months

of this emergency, record spending and borrowing to get us through this pandemic, but i think getting us out of the financial aftermath of that is going to be much more controversial in the years to come. laura, thank you very much. one of the more controversial aspects of the spending review is the chancellor's decision to cut — for the time being — the amount of money the uk gives in aid to poorer countries. mr sunak told mps that to carry on spending abroad when we have a domestic emergency woud be difficult to justify to the british people. here's james landale. for years, the sight of a plane delivering british food and medicine has brought hope to millions. the humanitarian assistance and development that can, for some, mean the difference between life and death. but now the government has decided it's got to cut back. this is not something anybody wanted to have to do, but the truth is the nhs and helping people who are unemployed has to be the priority next year. last year, the uk spent

£15 billion on foreign aid, about 0.7% of national income. it now the government wants to cut that legally binding target to just 0.5%. that means spending only £10 billion on a next year. —— on aid. this will leave the uk spending less in germany on 0.6%, but more than france on 0.4%. the aid budget has long faced questions about priorities, such as why some goes to india, with its own space programme. but those who work to reduce poverty and disease say today's cuts will bite deep, particularly during the covid—19 pandemic. seems cutting aid will make it harder to get vaccines to people all over the world, harder to get the treatments people need and ultimately it will extend the lifetime of the pandemic. the archbishop of canterbury said the aid cut categories was "shameful and wrong". the foreign office development minister lady sugg resigned, also saying it was fundamentally wrong. and her old boss, the man

who enshrined the targets in law, was equally unhappy. well, i think it's a very sad moment. just it's not just that we are breaking a promise to the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world — a promise that we made, a promise that we don't have to break — it's that that 0.7% commitment, it really says something about britain. for years, britain's had a reputation as an aid superpower. a question that's got britain a hearing on the international stage. it's opened doorfor ministers and officials here are the foreign office. the question is what impacts the possible decision will actually have on that reputation just as britain tries to carve a new role for itself after brexit. to spend less, the government will also have to change the law. that means a long parliamentary battle ahead. james landale, bbc news. the public spending watchdog has laid bare the hugely inflated prices the westminster government ended up paying for personal

protective equipment as the pandemic began to bite. the national audit office said that stockpiles were low and that competing for ppe with other countries cost the taxpayer an extra £10 billion. our special correspondent lucy manning reports. at felixstowe port, amongst the containers, a sign of england's ppe problems. 4,000 containers of protective equipment still sitting there causing logjams because most of the government's ppe orders did not arrive for the first covid—19 peak. at the beginning of the pandemic, the government had not built up its stockpile of ppe enough. so there were only nine days' worth of goggles left, seven days' worth of protective aprons and as for gowns, there weren't even enough to last a day. and that meant the government had to buy with prices rocketing. the price of body bags and the price of gowns went up by more than 1000%. the price of gloves went

up by more than 500%. the spending watchdog the nao found more than £12 billion was spent buying ppe. if it had been bought at prices the year before, £10 billion could've been saved. the shortages left staff feeling vulnerable, risking their lives. some lost them. this woman was a nurse. she died in april of coronavirus. she did have diabetes, but her family claims she lacked proper ppe. well, it's devastating particularly as front—line workers as the government, at the nhs that we trust in. it should just be natural to provide anything and everything that would help. it's really hard, you know, it's really hard losing someone like that. there you go. so, that's your masks

and your boxes of gloves. the report also highlights how care companies in particular came close to running out of ppe. it was a little bit of sort of the wild west. we were being offered facemasks at 95p per thousand. at 95p per face mask. so, a 1500% increase in the price from the original purchase that we made. we were able to find these facemasks at better value we are being offered than we are being offered by government—sanctioned providers. in the summer, the bbc revealed 150 million facemasks could not be used in the nhs despite the firm saying they met specifications. this, disclosed in court documents by the campaign group the good law project. the report says there could be millions more items of ppe that are also unsuitable. the prime minister was challenged about what was ordered. so, will the prime minister come clean? how many hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been wasted on equipment that cannot be used? prime minister.

99.5% of the ppe, 32 billion items of ppe that this country has secured conformed entirely to our clinical needs once we checked it. at the start of the pandemic, a huge effort was made to get ppe, but prices were high and supplies low. lucy manning, bbc news. our top story this evening... the chancellor unveils his spending review and the full extent of the damage done to the uk economy by the coronavirus pandemic. and still to come... will the duchess of sussex speaking of her own miscarriage help other women come to terms with their loss? coming up on sports day on bbc news... we pay tribute with a special programme on diego maradona, the football legend, who has died today at the age of 60, following a heart attack.

one of the world's most famous footballers, and one of the sport's all—time greats, diego maradona, has died. the argentine player was 60. reports say he suffered a heart attack. maradona led his nation to world cup victory in 1986, scoring some of the tournament's most legendary goals, including the infamous hand of god one, which saw england eliminated. andy swiss looks back at his life. he was once described as half—angel, half—devil, and at his best, he was out of this world. he has burruchaga to his left and valdano to his left. he won't need any of them. 0h! you have to say that's magnificent! diego maradona against england in 1986 in what was later voted the goal of the century. "he seemed to have the ball tied to his boots," said a team—mate. and yet, in the very same match, he became one of sport's most notorious cheats,

the two extremes of a tempestuous talent. growing up in the slums outside buenos aires, maradona became known as the golden boy. his breathtaking skills first became clear at barcelona, and he went to the 1986 world cup as his country's captain and talisman. in the quarterfinal, argentina faced england, and maradona made his mark in typically controversial style. replays showed he'd scored with his arm, or "the hand of god" as he famously described it. well, certainly his arm was up. england fans were in uproar, but years later maradona insisted he had no regrets. translation: i couldn't reach it, and shilton was already there. i couldn't head it, so i did like that. i believe it's a craftiness. maybe we have a lot more of it in south america than europe, but it's not cheating. just minutes later, though,

the other side of maradona, his stocky five foot five frame ghosting through tackles with a pace and a poise which proved simply untouchable. his sublime skills guided argentina to the trophy. but gradually, the dream started to sour. a tearful runner—up at the 1990 world cup, he arrived at the 1994 tournament with questions over his fitness. his answer seemed emphatic, but the celebrations hinted at the demons within. it emerged he'd failed a drugs test, and maradona was sent home in disgrace. without football, his addictions grew. his weight ballooned to more than 20 stone, and in 2004, he was rushed to hospital after an overdose while outside fans prayed for their icon. he recovered, though, to coach argentina and even host his own tv show. with maradona, life was never dull. but for all his flaws, this is his legacy. maradona. ..

brilliant run by maradona. fantastic goal! unbelievable! one of the most controversial players ever, but above all, one of the greatest. football great diego maradona, who's died at the age of 60. the latest government figures show there were 18,213 new coronavirus infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. people across the uk are being urged to think carefully before making plans to celebrate christmas with wider family groups. some scientific experts have raised concerns that the relaxed rules

announced yesterday could increase case numbers, hospitalisations and covid—related deaths. here's our health editor, hugh pym. planning for christmas is under way. households know they can mix, within limits, but there are risks to consider. the virus won't go away. people have been urged to think very carefully about their plans. one member of the sage committee, speaking in a personal capacity, said there was a delicate balance. the political decision to release restrictions for christmas is important, both for the economy and for the well—being of society. but the science advice is that, in some areas, where cases are high in the community, there will be a price to pay. that price is more people in hospital. and today there was another reminder of the tragic consequences for some. he was a bit chunky, but he was really active and fit. he was never ill.

cameron wellington, who was 19, had a promising career as a professional wrestler. he got coronavirus and told his mum and dad he was ok, and then came a sudden deterioration, and a week later, he died in hospital. you never think it is going to affect you, until it does, and then just... it has crushed us, ain't it? the timing was cruel, with christmas coming up, and cameron's parents want people to know that they mustn't drop their guard against the virus over the holiday season. the reward is living. and the reward is every other christmas celebrating with your family. we can't do that with cameron any more. the shape of new restrictions in england will become clear tomorrow, with officials keen to get virus cases down as much as possible before the temporary opening up at christmas. hugh pym, bbc news. the duchess of sussex has described the "almost unbearable grief" she experienced after having

a miscarriage in july. writing in the new york times, meghan said talking about losing a baby remained taboo and led to what she called "unwarra nted shame". here's sarah campbell. listen, did you hear that? i heard duck sounds. quack, quack, quack! archie's first birthday in may. two months later, his mother, the duchess of sussex, suffered a miscarriage, revealing today in a newspaper editorial the impact on her and her husband, prince harry. she described how, after changing archie's nappy, she felt a sharp cramp. "i knew as i clutched my first—born child", she wrote, "that i "was losing my second. "hours later, i lay in a hospital bed holding my "husband's hand." and yet, she added... conversation around miscarriage remains taboo. her words have resonated with those all too familiar with pregnancy loss. if i had seen this essay when i had my first pregnancy loss, i would have felt a lot less isolated and lost

a lot less alone. because although i knew that the loss of pregnancy was common, no—one really talked to me about it, and no—one really knew what to say, to understand what i was going through. meghan joins a number of high—profile women who have opened up about the loss of a child. chrissy teigen was widely praised for sharing intimate pictures in the aftermath of a stillbirth. michelle obama wrote of her miscarriage in her autobiography. and zara tindall, prince harry's cousin, revealed she had suffered two miscarriages before the birth of her second child. it's estimated that up to one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. all couples will cope in their own way. but experts agree it is important that those who want to talk about it feel that they can. there is a lot of pressure that is put on women to be able to conceive, and conceive successfully, and when we don't talk about it, unfortunately, we can hold a lot of that shame and stigma within us, within our families and sometimes within our communities and particular cultures.

the sussexes stepped back from royal duties earlier this year. but as this article illustrates, meghan hasn't stepped back from public life. sarah campbell, bbc news. for details of organisations which offer advice and support with pregnancy related issues, go online to bbc.co.uk/actionline. let's return to our main story now — the chancellor's spending review. richi sunak promised a new £4 billion fund to support local projects, especially aimed at those parts of the country where people feel they haven't had enough investment. our political correspondent, alex forsyth, reports from rossendale and darwen, a northern conservative consisituency, on the challenges facing these areas. the towns and villages of rossendale are in a part of the north west that's been hard—hit by the virus. like in many places, that's meant rising unemployment. take oliver and lewis, both 19, both out of work, both have been looking forjobs for months.

it's really, like, demoralising cos you're just applying forjobs all day, and there's no responses half of the time. if you do get a response, it's a no. what's it like, thejob hunt? it's horrible, it's painful. they've joined a local scheme helping young people back into work. the pool of those who qualify has increased five—fold this year. those who run it welcome the government's focus on job seekers, investment in skills, apprenticeships and work placements, saying it's crucial. we're really encouraged by that announcement today. that is very much what's needed right now. you know, and the time's now, you know, the time is now to start targeting these young guys. rossendale is in the heart of the region promised investment by this government. local mum and gp emma runs a support network for parents who now meet virtually. many want the focus on the next generation. i've been a nursery schoolteacher now for ten years, and we're absolutely

cut to the bone. ijust really, really, really, really want the government to massively invest and understand the priority that children are now. there was money promised today for schools, the nhs, public services, but some aren't convinced. there's all this talk from boris about connecting the north—south, but we're in the north. we're not connected to, like, our nearest borough. make it a place where our children want to stay. this area's local mp is one of dozens of tories pushing the government to stick to its pledge to address regional inequalities, the north—south divide. one of today's announcements was £4 billion for projects that local communities think will make a difference in their areas. the government wants to show it's committed to helping places that have felt overlooked, but the impact of this pandemic on jobs and businesses and public finances make that promise much harder to keep. at a nearby heritage site,

renovations are under way. the construction firm, a large local employer. here, plans to invest in infrastructure and building are welcome. the question — how to pay for it? the numbers don't mean anything any more. they're kind of so huge, you just know it's a large number and it's going to take some sorting out at some point of the future. and perhaps not this generation, perhaps the next generation to follow and i do worry about that. there is understanding here of tough economic choices to come, but a government that's promised opportunity for all can't afford any area to feel left behind. alex forsyth, bbc news, rossendale. time for a look at the weather — here's ben rich. good evening. at this time of the year, if the day ends with clear skies like this, you can be fairly sure that you will have a chilly night. some chilly nights on the way over the next few, which will lead to frost and fog, and the days will not be warm, either. tonight, one or two patches developing, some extra

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