A Most Neoliberal Encounter: When Covid-19 Met the British Welfare State

Abstract

This article explores how the British welfare state was mobilized in the United Kingdom’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the context of neoliberal capitalism. This response was conditioned by neoliberal dynamics that had previously shaped the British welfare state, with low investment in healthcare as a case study. The crisis response itself reproduced and amplified neoliberal dynamics, such as poorly accountable contracting out in healthcare. The pandemic context allowed some of these dynamics to be made more visible to the general public, and therefore more questionable, although, as is shown with the example of the benefit system, no overhaul of the system ensued. Ultimately, the Covid-19 pandemic has not been a game changer for the British neoliberal welfare state.

JEL Classification: P1, I1