Britain | Not so burdensome

As debt soars, the cost of servicing it keeps falling

Good news for the British government’s finances

AN AWFUL LOT has changed since Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, unveiled his budget in March. Britain’s economy looks set to experience an unprecedentedly rapid and deep recession. What is more, the government, through actions such as the furlough scheme to support employment, is choosing to bear an unusually large share of the initial costs. The result will be much higher government debt than previously anticipated. And yet the actual cost of servicing that higher debt may well turn out to be lower than was expected back in March.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Not so burdensome”

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