General · 22 May 2026
UK Borrowing Hits £24.3bn In April

Higher public borrowing could add pressure on taxes and government spending plans as ministers face rising costs. Britain recorded a budget shortfall of £24.3 billion in April, official figures showed on Friday, above the £20.9 billion forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. It was the second-largest April deficit on record, while the Office for Budget Responsibility had expected borrowing to fall to 3.6% of GDP this tax year.
Reported by Reuters · How we write briefs
