Should Rishi Sunak have done more to support the economy?

In the wake of the summer statement, calls from economists for the chancellor to consider giving more assistance amid this unprecedented crisis are growing, says Ben Chu

Many economists say Rishi Sunak took a gamble by not announcing a larger support package this week (AFP/Getty)

The additional emergency spending announced by Rishi Sunak as part of his summer statement this week takes the grand total announced since March to around £190bn.

Total borrowing in the current financial year is now likely to breach £350bn, or around 15 per cent of GDP, which would be the highest since the Second World War.

Given such vast figures it seems almost surreal to be asking whether it’s enough – yet that’s indeed what many economists and analysts are doing.