UK posts small budget surplus as government spending rises before Brexit

This was well below the median forecast of 2.7 billion pounds in a Reuters poll of economists.July is traditionally a surplus month for the public finances, driven by income tax payments from individuals.While most tax receipts were up a little compared with a year ago, government spending was 2.6 billion pounds higher, a 4.2% annual increase. Purchases of goods and services and staff costs drove most of the rise. For the first four months of the financial year starting in April, Britain has..