Part 10/12:
The UK's manufacturing and construction sectors have experienced six straight months of decline. Challenges include ongoing tariffs, particularly from the United States, which, though possessing a preferential trade deal, may impose further barriers that could depress the economy more severely in coming quarters.
While markets remain somewhat optimistic, these often do not reflect the lived reality of households and small businesses, many of which are already feeling the effects of economic contraction. Policymakers face a constrained space of maneuver—balancing inflation control with economic growth remains a delicate act.