Pre-budget lift for Rachel Reeves as UK business confidence rises

Published on August 29, 2025 at 08:08 AM
Pre-budget lift for Rachel Reeves as UK business confidence rises

Despite concerns about economy, poll shows optimism about trading prospects at highest level since 2014

Confidence among UK businesses has grown despite anxiety about the state of the economy, in a rare slice of positive news for the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, in the run-up to her autumn budget.

An August poll of UK companies by Lloyds Bank showed that improved sentiment among manufacturers and retailers helped push overall optimism within UK plc up by two percentage points, with 54% of companies now feeling confident in the current environment.

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BusinessEconomicsRachel ReevesBudget 2025Lloyds Banking GroupRetail industryManufacturing sectorUK newsBudget

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