Higher oil prices, conflict in the Middle East and concerns about government borrowing might not sound like the ingredients for an upbeat economic update.
But look beyond the headlines and there are some encouraging signs.
In the August edition of Citrus Bites, Richard Harris looks at how the UK economy has performed during the first half of 2026, and what could shape the months ahead.
Key points from the episode include:
- why higher oil prices haven’t yet translated into significantly higher inflation
the latest UK inflation figures - why UK GDP growth outperformed the rest of the G7 in both Q1 and Q2
- what’s happening to UK government borrowing and gilt yields
- why oil, inflation and interest rates remain important to the outlook for the second half of the year
Watch the full episode now
The picture is more positive than some of the headlines might suggest. But with oil prices still elevated and the cost of government borrowing under pressure, there are some important challenges to watch.
Watch the full episode above.
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