UK borrowing hits higher than expected £24.3bn in April; retail sales drop as drivers cut back on fuel - business live
Lauren Almeida
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news The British Retail Consortium has reacted to official retail figures this morning, which showed a drop last month. Harvir Dhillon , economist at the industry body, said: We are starting to see signs that concerns over the Middle East conflict and its impact on living costs are leading shoppers to rein in their spending in many areas. …Discretionary spend is likely to drop further as the cost of living squeeze worsens. To protect consumer