Public sector borrowing: How big is it and should we be getting worried?

Just how big is April’s monthly borrowing figure in a historical context? And what does it signal about the direction of the public finances and the solvency of the government? Ben Chu investigates

Purchases of government bonds by the Bank of England seems to have reassured private buyers that they are a safe investment (AFP/Getty)

The UK government borrowed £63.5bn in cash last month from the financial market, the Office for National Statistics has reported.

As expected, state spending was driven up by pandemic-related emergency spending while tax revenues were crushed by the lockdown.