UK records greater-than-anticipated budget deficit in October

In October, the United Kingdom recorded a greater budget deficit than anticipated, as follows from first borrowing figures, since finance minister Philip Hammond pledged an end to austerity was over there.

October’s deficit went up to 8.820 billion pounds in contrast with 7.235 billion pounds in 2017. That’s what the Office for National Statistics uncovered.

By the way, a Reuters survey of financial analysts had pointed to an outcome of nearly 6.15 billion pounds.

While tax receipts kept soaring, government spending headed north in contrast with 2017.

The ONS pointed to substantial surge in expenditure on services and products, to say nothing of social benefits. As for interest payments on government debt, they went up too.

For the first seven months of the 2018/19 financial year, Britain’s budget deficit kept to 26.7 billion pounds, diving nearly 30% on the previous year as well as the lowest at this stage of the financial year for up to 13 years.

Moreover, Hammond uncovered tax cuts for UK households as well as the easing of welfare curbs for poor families and also a big leap in spending on the health services. However, the statesman also stressed that an end to the severe spending trims endured by numerous government departments since 2010 would depend on the UK securing a Brexit pact with the European bloc.

The previous week UK Prime Minister Theresa May managed to agree a draft withdrawal pact with Brussels. However, the pact is disliked by her Conservative Party, suggesting a probable failure in parliament.

Hammond is on the verge of steadily reducing the country’s debt as a share of GDP that he ascertains is extremely high to easily back a big jump in public spending during a future recession.

In October, public debt, without public-owned financial institutions and the Bank of England's stimulus program, kept to 1.5985 trillion pounds, which amounts to 75% of GDP.

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