Lower borrowing than expected, strong retail sales

[longfingernails]

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/8467368/Pound-climbs-as-retail-sales-and-borrowings-surprise.html

Our deficit is still an eyewatering £141bn, but that is at least £4bn less than forecast.

In general, there is good news from the private sector too. Shops are teeming and more new cars are being sold.

Of course, the BBC has chosen to hide this news well - it isn't even linked on their front page, because it doesn't fit their far-left worldview. But I am sure Labour mumsnetters will be much more eager to sing the praises of George Osborne.

Um, Nooooo Chil. "Month-on-month" means compared to the previous month. The change over one month. Absolutely nothing to do with 2010.

So sales dropped 0.9%, then rose by 0.2%. Over the 2 months, we have actually had a drop of 0.7%. This is NOT good news.

From the BBC Website:

UK retail sales unexpectedly rebound in March.

"The ONS said in its latest retail sales bulletin that the volume of sales was up 1.3% compared with March 2010 on a seasonally adjusted basis - which takes account of the fact that Easter fell in March last year."

Thanks jackstarb. So it was adjusted for Easter after all.

Well those are different figures. If you want to compare to March 2010, you should take the weather conditions into account. (as they did to explain the previous quarters lack of growth)