Economics
U.K. Posts Record Budget Deficit; Retail Sales Drop on Virus
- April figure all but equals borrowing for previous fiscal year
- U.K. retail sales collapsed by almost a fifth in the month
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Britain posted a record budget deficit in April as the government unleashed an unprecedented package to prevent the collapse of the virus-stricken economy.
The figures reflect the cost of interventions announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, including paying the wages of 8 million furloughed workers, a surge in welfare claims and the hit to tax revenue as the economy plunged into recession. The price may yet go higher the longer the lockdown restrictions last.