UK posts smaller than expected January surplus as new finance minister readies budget

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Britain posted a smaller-than-expected budget surplus in January, a reminder of the constraints facing new finance minister Rishi Sunak as he prepares to deliver his first budget next month.The surplus excluding public sector-owned banks stood at 9.813 billion pounds last month, down 18% from January 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a surplus of 11.3 billion pounds.January is typically a surplus month for..