When will the UK’s lockdown end? That is the number one question on most people’s minds right now, and for understandable reasons.

We are into week six of social distancing restrictions, and the impact on the economy and on people’s livelihoods and daily lives has been huge. Many are starting to think the benefits of the lockdown are being outweighed by the negatives of a long and deep recession – construction data shows that contract awards and tenders have fallen by as much as 40% since mid-March.

Last week the government’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, had a stark warning: some form of social distancing will be needed until next year in the absence of a vaccine or drugs to treat covid-19. It will be for the politicians to decide exactly what restrictions need to be imposed over the medium to long term and which parts of the economy can be opened up again.

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