{"id":52364,"date":"2021-02-13T15:46:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T19:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=52364"},"modified":"2021-02-13T15:47:20","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T19:47:20","slug":"now-this-is-very-serious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.co\/?p=52364","title":{"rendered":"Now this is a VERY serious foreshadowing of things to come!"},"content":{"rendered":"

UK Economy Suffers Biggest Drop in 300 Years<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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The Palace of Westminster viewed from the south side of the embankment by the River Thames just after dawn in London, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. (AP Photo\/Alastair Grant)<\/p><\/div>\n

NEWSMAX<\/p>\n

The British economy suffered its biggest decline in more than 300 years in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic closed shops and restaurants, devastated the travel industry and curtailed manufacturing.<\/p>\n

The economy shrank 9.9% last year, more than twice the figure for 2009 at the height of the global financial crisis, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. The drop is the largest since 1709, when a cold spell known as the Great Frost devastated what was then a largely agricultural economy.<\/p>\n

The data comes as Britain\u2019s economy remains shackled by restrictions designed to combat COVID-19. A rebound in growth during the fourth quarter has been stifled by England\u2019s third lockdown, which has closed schools, restaurants and non-essential shops since mid-December. Tough restrictions also remain in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s figures show that the economy has experienced a serious shock as a result of the pandemic, which has been felt by countries around the world,\u201d the U.K.\u2019s top treasury official, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, said in a statement. \u201cWhile there are some positive signs of the economy\u2019s resilience over the winter, we know that the current lockdown continues to have a significant impact on many people and businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunak said he would announce new plans to protect jobs and bolster the economy when he delivers his annual budget statement to the House of Commons on March 3.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 has hit Britain\u2019s economy harder than most other industrialized democracies. French GDP shrank 8.3% last year, Germany 5% and the U.S. 3.5%.<\/p>\n

The GDP figures show the breadth of the pandemic\u2019s economic impact in Britain.<\/p>\n

The service sector, which accounts for about 80% of the U.K. economy, shrank 8.9% last year, with output from accommodation, food and beverage businesses down more than 55% from February levels. Manufacturing fell 8.6% and construction 12.5%.<\/p>\n

In hopes of relaxing the restrictions that have devastated the economy, the U.K. has moved to rapidly vaccinate its most vulnerable residents. More than 13.5 million people, or about 20% of the population, had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Andy Haldane, chief economist for the Bank of England, said the vaccination drive is helping Britain turn a corner in its battle against the virus. Lifting COVID-19 restrictions is likely to unleash a wave of spending by consumers and businesses that will trigger a rapid recovery later this year, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA decisive corner is about to be turned for the economy, too, with enormous amounts of pent-up financial energy waiting to be released, like a coiled spring,\u201d Haldane wrote in the Daily Mail.<\/p>\n

But that optimism comes against the backdrop of Europe\u2019s deadliest coronavirus outbreak, with more than 115,000 deaths recorded so far.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese figures confirm that not only has the U.K. had the worst death toll in Europe, we\u2019re experiencing the worst economic crisis of any major economy,\u201d said Anneliese Dodds, the opposition Labour Party\u2019s spokesperson on economic issues. \u201cBusinesses can\u2019t wait any longer. The Chancellor needs to come forward now with a plan to secure the economy in the months ahead, with support going hand-in-hand with health restrictions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

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