UK firms less likely to borrow than at any time since financial crash

Deloitte found that the perception of external risks to businesses had eased since peaking earlier this year. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/REX Shutterstock

The UK’s leading companies are less inclined to borrow now than at any point since the financial crisis of 2008, a survey of directors has found.

Demand for credit is flagging among chief financial officers, with barely a quarter of those polled at FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies expecting to increase borrowing in the next year.