Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Britain's economy on course for rapid recovery from coronavirus crisis, predicts Bank of Engla

Chief economist Andy Haldane predicts a rapid recovery from the pandemic. He says consumer spending has helped UK claw back as much as half of losses. He insists ‘now is time to see economic glass as half full rather than half empty’

Britain's economy is on course for a rapid recovery from the coronavirus crisis, a senior Bank of England official predicts today.

Chief economist Andy Haldane says strong consumer spending has already helped the UK claw back as much as half of the losses triggered by the pandemic.

He insists ‘now is the time to see the economic glass as half full rather than half empty’ – as official statistics reveal a sharp increase in the number of white collar workers returning to their offices.

Responding to the figures, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: ‘Our economy has been hit hard by the virus, but the statistics out today show promise of Britain bouncing back.

‘The recovery won’t be easy but if we all play our part, either by going back to work in our offices or enjoying a meal out, we can overcome this together and come out stronger than before.’

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Haldane says the economy is expected to expand by more than a fifth in the second half of the year, which would be ‘by far the fastest rise’ since quarterly records began.

He says: ‘The foundations for an economic recovery – a rapid one – are already in place, hiding in plain sight. Economic activity in the UK is not falling like stone, in fact it has now been rising for more than three months, sooner than anyone expected. It has also recovered far faster than anyone expected.’

His upbeat intervention comes after it was confirmed on Wednesday that Britain has plunged into recession, with GDP falling by a record 20.4 per cent in the second quarter of this year.

But official figures also revealed that after collapsing in April – the first full month of lockdown – the economy expanded by 2.4 per cent in May and 8.7 per cent in June.

An Office for National Statistics report yesterday suggested almost half of Britons commuted to work last week as pleas by Boris Johnson to return to the office appeared to be making an impact.

Under guidance, which came into effect at the beginning of the month, employers were urged to encourage white collar staff to go back to the office if it is safe to do so. Previously the advice was to work from home if possible.

The ONS report showed 48 per cent of people commuted to work last week, up from just 29 per cent towards the end of May.

It also showed that 23 per cent worked solely from home, down from a peak of 38 per cent in mid-June. And last week just 3 per cent of workers said they were furloughed, down from 15 per cent in May.


A healthy dose of optimism can save jobs, writes Bank of England chief economist ANDY HALDANE

After a week of relentlessly grim forecasts about the economic calamity we’re hurtling towards, could there possibly be a glimmer of light in all the gloom?

In today’s Mail, Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane makes no bones about the scale of the challenges ahead – or the pain they will cause.

The Bank predicts the collapse in economic activity will push unemployment up to 2.5million by the end of the year (a conservative estimate), with the young, poor and least-skilled being worst affected.

This is far more than mere numbers. Every job lost means a life thrown into chaos, a person or family worrying about how to pay the bills.

But for all the anxiety, Mr Haldane struck a note of cautious optimism. The foundations for recovery are already there, he said, ‘hiding in plain sight’.

Far from continuing to plummet, GDP has been rising at roughly 1 per cent a WEEK for the past three months and the UK has already recovered half its Covid losses.

Car sales are back to pre-virus levels, and while the High Street is still deep in crisis, online purchases have risen by 70 per cent and spending on electrical goods, DIY and takeaways is soaring.

Mr Haldane expects national income to rebound by 20 per cent in the second half of this year. And though unemployment will continue to rise in the short-term, he believes that with continued Bank and Government support, the worst of this recession will be over quickly.

However, there is a giant obstacle on the road back to prosperity, and that is fear, which can be as contagious and damaging as Covid itself.

The health risk from the virus is tumbling, with death rates down 95 per cent and local spikes being well contained by local measures.

Yet Britain has been slower to get back to work than the rest of Europe. True, nearly 50 per cent of people travelled into work last week. But that’s still too few.

With face masks and distancing giving extra confidence on public transport and the imminent return of schools allowing parents to resume their jobs, we must get back to a semblance of normality.

Or as Mr Haldane put it, ‘generate a virtuous circle of spending, jobs and incomes’.

The Civil Service and big corporations should be giving a lead, yet sadly they seem in no hurry to resume business as usual. Some are happy for their employees to work from home until well into next year. This institutional indolence has to stop.

The Bank and Chancellor Rishi Sunak can pave the way to getting this country back on track before the economic damage of Covid becomes irreversible. But the rest is up to all of us. Workers of Britain: Your country needs you.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×