This was the week when we learned that not only does Britain have the worst coronavirus death toll in Europe,

but its economy has taken a much heavier beating than its G7 rivals too.

It was no great surprise to learn the economy is in recession, but the second quarter fall in gross domestic product of 20.4% was staggering in its scale.

There was plenty of blame being cast around.

We need to have targeted financial backing.

We haven't had that sufficiently yet from the Conservative government and we really need it.

I think until we have that we'll continue to see potentially a deeper recession in the UK than in other countries.

Welcome to Payne's Politics, your essential insiders guide to what's happening in British politics from the Financial Times.

And for one week only, while Sebs away on holiday,

Welcome to Parker's politics, with me George Parker, the FT's political editor. I've been dying to say that. And don't worry,

normal service will resume next week when Seb is back. At the top you heard

Labour's Shadow Chancellor and Lee's Dodd speaking to the BBC this week and criticizing the government's business support schemes.

In this episode we'll be discussing the state of the British economy.

Is the government at least partly to blame and what's going to happen next in a very difficult autumn for the Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

And later we'll be looking at the exams fiasco, which has caused so much distress to students and shaken politicians both north and south of the border.

But first, I'm joined by Delphine Strauss, our economics correspondent and Alice Hancock,

whose leisure industries beat includes some of the most exposed parts of our economy,

travel and hospitality, to look at the numbers and the reality on the ground.

Hello, Delphine.

Hello there, George.

And hello Alice.

Hi, George.

...