Hat-trick of good UK economic news as budget surplus hits record, retail sales rise and private sector activity strengthens – business live
https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2026/feb/20/retail-sales-and-public-finances-data-to-show-state-of-british-economy-business-live
Posted by Justnotstressed
14 Comments
Thast it, you’ve convinced me.
I’m applying for pips
Retail sales is kinda the only one that matter, imo. Its the only one that signals ordinary people feel like they have more money.
Do we have a chance of recovery? I’m half foot out the door
“Why this is bad news for Rachel Reeves” ~ *The Torygraph, BBC, Tabloids, Twitter et al*
It’s now good news they put up taxes and we paid them ?
I guess it’s good if you have out of control budget spending
“the highest surplus since monthly records began in 1993 (not adjusted for inflation)”
Well there you go then… every year should be a record
Good news everyone!
Oh hang on, no, good news to the top 1%!
Everybody else, well, keep paying those energy bills, try to hold onto your job, find another dream instead of owning a house and… yeah, carry on as normal.
As good as I know this is… Why exactly has unemployment risen then? I feel like there are two narratives competing with each other at the same time
Might be a silly question but how are retail sales rising and private sector activity strengthening if unemployment is ‘reportedly rampant’?
Business close in record numbers “ but here’s how’s that’s a good thing”. The gas lighting is unreal.
“**Today’s upbeat UK economic news hasn’t dampened expectations of a cut to UK interest rates in March.**
A rate cut at next month’s Bank of England meeting is seen as a 78% chance by the money markets, following the drop in inflation – and rise in unemployment – earlier this week.” – Guardian
No housing or wage strength news that working class people need though?
Strange, cos my town centre looks like there was a zombie apocalypse and everyone I know under 25 is unemployed?
I wonder where all this rise went to? Amazon and bankers?
I feel like this surplus lets the Reeves say, credibly, “we’re fiscally responsible,” which reassures the markets, businesses, and ‘some’ voters after years of turbulence. That credibility makes it easier to borrow later for big priorities (like infrastructure andor green investment) without spooking investors, and it gives them headroom if the economy weakens or a crisis hits. Politically, it also blunts the classic lazy attack line that Labour can’t be trusted with the public finances.