Responding to figures published today by the ONS which show GDP fell by 20.4% in April, and 10.4% in the three months to April, Fran Boait, executive director of Positive Money, said:
“April’s growth figures come as no surprise but they will no doubt fuel debate over whether emergency public health measures designed to save lives should be lifted in order to get the economy growing again.
“There is currently debate over whether further preventative measures should be eased, such as the 2m rule, but any changes should be considered based on the effect they will have on health and wellbeing, not GDP.
“As this crisis has shown, GDP is a poor measure of the things that really matter and we should not let policy be guided by it. The government must steer clear of putting private wealth ahead of public health.”
