Government borrowing surged to £16.6 billion in September

UK national debt stood at 98.5% of GDP, according to Office for National Statistics estimates for September Gareth Fuller/PA) - (PA Wire)

The scale of the task facing Rachel Reeves next week in her Budget speech was underlined today by public finance figures showing the Government was forced to borrow £16.6 billion in September.

The deficit was £2.1 billion more than the same time last year and the third biggest on record for the month, exceeded only by the two Covid years of 2020 and 2021.