Brighter UK economy gives Reeves a springboard for March statement

2026-02-20 - 17:33

Record public finances accompany stronger retail sales and business activity but some analysts express caution The economic backdrop to Rachel Reeves’s upcoming spring statement appeared to brighten on Friday after a trio of reports painted a better-than-expected picture of the UK economy. Record monthly public finances, a surge in retail spending and accelerating business activity offered the most coherent picture of recovery since last autumn, economists said, and provided the chancellor with a more positive narrative ahead of her 3 March statement. Continue reading...