ABSTRACT
Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on the UK. This chapter outlines elements of the country’s institutional framework and missteps in public health policies that have led to this outcome. The magnitude of the economic shock that fiscal and monetary policies are responding to is thus rather larger than elsewhere. Certain economic policy instruments have been used to good effect, although there are ongoing concerns around many, particularly around value-for-money and economic rationale. A lack of policy stability and the wider context of Brexit have contributed to a lacklustre economic performance, with a lack of conventional monetary policy space a clear constraint in comparison to earlier crises.
