As dawn broke on the first morning of 2021, dark storm clouds hung over Britain’s economic landscape. Hospitality, aviation and tourism had been at a standstill for much of the previous year, while high street retail had fared only a little better.
A winter Covid-19 surge heralded yet another punishing lockdown and, as if that wasn’t enough, Brexit was crimping Britain’s international trade. Consumer confidence languished at rock bottom with no end to the pandemic in sight.
Twelve months on, the world of business and finance has been on a rollercoaster ride, flitting from summer optimism to autumn supply chain chaos, before the Omicron variant of Covid-19 brought us back down to earth with a chastening bump.
In some respects, things are looking up. In others, it feels like we’re right back where we started. As Britain battles to recover from the pandemic body blow, here’s how the year unfolded.
Pings, petrol panic and supply chain pandemonium
