Britain will expand at its quickest pace in decades this quarter after shrinking at its fastest pace in centuries last quarter, a Reuters poll found, as vast swathes of the economy have reopened following a nationwide shutdown to control the coronavirus.
Despite near-term optimism, almost 85 percent of respondents, 32 of 38, thought the outlook for the British economy had stayed the same or worsened over the past month, with only six saying it had improved.
The virus has infected almost 15 million people across the world and Britain has the highest death toll in Europe — despite the government forcing businesses to close and citizens to stay home.