UK: this month’s High Street Banking data reflects the Brexit uncertainty

Gross mortgage borrowing of £12.2bn in the month was 4% higher than in June 2015. Borrowing in the first half of 2016 was £79.9bn compared with £63.6bn in the same period of 2015.

Net mortgage borrowing is 3% higher than a year ago.

Consumer credit continues to show annual growth of over 6% possibly reflecting uncertainty and in the case of personal loans and overdrafts favourable interest rates.

House purchase approval numbers have bounced back a little from the low numbers seen in April (following the surge in the first few months of 2016) but are still some 11% lower than in June 2015. However in the first half of 2016 numbers were 5.5% higher than in the same period of 2015.

Remortgaging approvals were 13% higher than in June 2015.

Other advances were 15% higher than a year ago.

"This month's High Street Banking data reflects the uncertainty that was felt ahead of the EU referendum.

Business borrowing in June dropped for the first time in 2016, signalling that investment decisions were being delayed until after the vote.

Mortgage lending and approvals also fell back in June but remain above the low levels seen in April following the introduction of the stamp duty surcharge.

Overall, business confidence was clearly fragile in anticipation of the outcome of the vote, but these results are not a verdict on the health of the economy post-Brexit. We won't start to see that data come through until the autumn and any trends before then should not be over-interpreted"