United Kingdom · Story · Markets
UK Government borrowing and economic growth updates
UK government borrowing rose to £24.5 billion in September, while GDP grew by 0.1% in August, impacting Chancellor Healey's upcoming budget.
No new coverage since 21 October 2026.
The story so far as of 21 October 2026
On 22 September, the UK government borrowed £18.3 billion in August, surpassing forecasts and increasing pressure on Chancellor John Healey. The borrowing was driven by higher costs in servicing national debt. On 15 October, it was reported that the UK economy grew by 0.1% in August, defying expectations of a contraction. This growth followed a 0.4% rise in July. On 21 October, UK government borrowing rose to £24.5 billion in September, exceeding forecasts and indicating budgetary constraints ahead of the Budget on October 28.
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Coverage, day by day
- Markets
UK government borrowing rises to £24.5bn
Impact Public-sector planners face budgetary constraints as government borrowing exceeds forecasts.
Sources: Financial Times ↗, The Independent ↗
- Markets
UK GDP grows by 0.1% in August, defying forecasts
Impact Retailers and financial analysts gain confidence from unexpected economic growth ahead of the budget.
Sources: The Guardian ↗, BBC ↗, Financial Times ↗
- Regulation
UK borrowing rises to £18.3bn, pressures Healey
Impact Lenders to the UK government face increased uncertainty as fiscal headroom narrows, affecting bond market stability.
Sources: The Guardian ↗, Financial Times ↗
Sources in this story
Sources: each headline links to the original article on the publisher's site.