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Britain

Disruption, deficit and dole

Duncan Weldon: Britain economics correspondent, The Economist

The lasting impact of covid-19 will dominate the economic outlook

2021 in brief

A retired Boeing 747 jumbo jet starts a new life at Cotswold Airport in Kemble, England,
after the pandemic brought its 26-year flying career to an early end. It can be hired as a
cinema and conference venue, with its inflight entertainment system available for
business presentations. Meanwhile another retired 747, at Dunsfold aerodrome, takes
on a new role as a film set

FOR THE British economy, 2021 will be a strange year. The annual rate of GDP growth
will be the fastest in decades. Yet the country will be gripped by a sense of crisis, amid
high unemployment and a huge deficit.