Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news England’s sensational run to the third-fouth playoff in the Men’s football world cup, and the heatwave, both affected the UK economy in July, the ONS says. But computer programming was a major factor behind July’s growth, as the AI boom pushed up activity. “Growth remained relatively robust in the latest three months, as ongoing strength in the services sector was only partially offset by falls in both production and construction. “Within services, computer programming was the largest contributor, continuing the strong growth seen throughout the year, with evidence that businesses involved with AI and related technologies helped to boost this sector. Continue reading...