Category: coronavirus

More state intervention is not the answer to reviving our economy

Many people argue that the Covid crisis has demonstrated the need for government to take a bigger role in the economy, in good times as well as bad. When asked to suggest five policies to help the recovery their ‘wish lists’ are therefore full of ways in which the state could do even more. In … Continue reading More state intervention is not the answer to reviving our economy →

Why has the UK economy been among the worst hit by Covid?

According to the latest official data, the UK has seen a larger fall in GDP during the pandemic than almost any country in Europe. The worst hit economies are actually Greece and Spain. But the UK appears to have suffered much more than France, Germany, Italy, or Sweden. This needs some explaining. Let’s deal first … Continue reading Why has the UK economy been among the worst hit by Covid? →

The UK economy will bounce back this year – here’s why

I often think my fellow economists are a miserable bunch. Survey after survey has predicted that the UK economy will take years to recover even to pre-Covid levels, with unemployment set to spiral and the fallout from Brexit only getting worse. But as we know, the consensus among followers of the ‘dismal science’ has often … Continue reading The UK economy will bounce back this year – here’s why →

‘Lockdown 3’ won’t be anywhere near as bad as the original

New year, new lockdown. I’m instinctively sceptical that such severe restrictions on our lives can ever be justified, but two factors have surely tipped the balance in their favour. The first, of course, is the far more rapid transmission of the new Covid variant. This has increased the benefits of locking down, as the risk … Continue reading ‘Lockdown 3’ won’t be anywhere near as bad as the original →