As England enters a second lockdown, we should be under no illusions about the economic cost. More jobs will be lost. More people will fall into arrears on their rent. More businesses will fail. More people will become homeless. More children will become hungry.
As in March, the pain will be distributed extremely unequally. While some people will lose jobs and houses, others will lose holidays and gym memberships.
At this time, people need to be provided with clear explanations of what is happening in the economy. They need to know what the worst possible future outcomes are, and how they can be avoided. At the moment however, people are not getting these clear explanations. Instead, two conflicting, almost diametrically opposed narratives have emerged.
