Another month, guess what, take a lucky guess, it is the same old story, HM Government, spends more money than it receives via taxes and duties.
Now we are in a post Covid 19 world. UK’s HM Government needs to fund many new demands. [www.dmo.gov.uk]
https://dmo.gov.uk/data/pdfdatareport?reportCode=D2.1PROF7
Another deficit month, thus to bridge the gap, needs to borrow on the bond market in October 2023, the HM Government had to borrow money to meet the difference between tax revenues and public sector expenditure. The term for this is the PSNCR: The Public Sector Net Cash Requirement. There were “only” 6 auctions of Gilts (UK Government Bonds) by the UK Debt Management Office to raise cash for HM Treasury:-
25-Oct-2023 3¾% Treasury Gilt 2038 £3,220.3120 Million
24-Oct-2023 0¾% Index-linked Treasury Gilt 2033 3 months £1,500 Million
17-Oct-2023 3¾% Treasury Gilt 2053 £2,750.0000 Million
11-Oct-2023 4 5/8% Treasury Gilt 2034 £4,687.4990 Million
10-Oct-2023 0 1/8% Index-linked Treasury Gilt 2039 3 months £900.0000 Million
04-Oct-2023 3½% Treasury Gilt 2025 £5,312.5000 Million
£3,220.3120 Million + £1,500 Million + £2,750.0000 Million + £4,687.4990 Million + £900.0000 Million + £5,312.5000 Million = £18,369.811 Million
£18,369.811 Million = £18.369811 Billion
On another way of looking at it, is in the 31 days in Oct 2023, HM Government borrowed:- £592.57454838709677419354838709677 Million each day for the 31 days.
We are fortunate, while the global banking and financial markets still has the confidence in HM Government to buy the Gilts (Lend money to the UK), the budget deficit keeps rising. What is also alarming, is the dates these bonds maturing from 2025 to 2053. All long-term borrowings, we are mortgaging our futures, but at least “We Are In It Together……“