Few budgets really matter, but this one does: Sunak must keep splashing the cash | Larry Elliott
The chancellor’s economic plans are as important as the vaccine in ensuring Britain recovers from the effects of Covid
Never say never. A new variant of coronavirus could sweep across the globe and prove resistant to vaccines. If rising infection rates once again put intolerable pressure on hospitals then Boris Johnson would hit the pause button on the economy. But as things stand, the current lockdown will be the last.
Every effort should be made to ensure this is the case because the costs of closing large chunks of the economy are enormous and are rising all the time. What’s more, the impact of the pandemic has widened Britain’s already gaping demographic, class and ethnic divides, and the risks of permanent scarring are obvious. The social costs of lockdowns – the impact on wellbeing – are just as significant as the economic costs (even though for many people the two are linked).
