Hope springs eternal

With a new variant of Covid-19 spreading rapidly across the UK, schools, non-essential retail, pubs and restaurants have been forced to shut until the middle of February, when priority groups are expected to have been vaccinated and measures can be eased. In response to the national lockdown, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a £4.6 billion relief package but many businesses fear that won’t be enough and that more help is needed. In this podcast, ING's Senior Editor Rebecca Byrne asks Developed Markets Economist James Smith what impact the new restrictions will have on the economy in the coming weeks and months.