UK growth beats expectations
First quarter gross domestic product (GDP) data published last month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK economy grew more strongly than had been predicted during the first three months of 2025.
Interest rates down; inflation up
Last month saw the Bank of England (BoE) sanction a further cut in interest rates while data released a couple of weeks after that decision showed the headline rate of inflation now standing at a 15-month high.
Markets
At the end of May, the FTSE 100 rose while US and Asian stocks fell as investors digested new tariff uncertainty. As the month drew to a close, President Trump accused China of breaking their tariff truce, he was also defending potential roadblocks to his trade policies from the US courts.
