Diners, doctors help UK economy to extend recovery

Finance minister Rishi Sunak repeated yesterday that he had no plans for a further extension of the furlough programme which has protected the incomes of millions of workers.

LONDON: Britain’s economy grew by a faster-than-expected 1% in June, the first full month of indoor service for many hospitality firms, and also helped by the healthcare sector due to a rise in routine medical checkups after the pandemic.

But the official data showed British gross domestic product remained 2.2% smaller than it was immediately before the pandemic struck the country, a reminder of the damage done by Britain’s long coronavirus lockdowns last year.