UK has borrowed £79.6bn this financial year, £1.2bn more than a year ago, which is the third highest year-to-September borrowing since January 1993.

By William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) -British public borrowing in the first six months of the tax year came in higher than official forecasts, data showed on Tuesday, underscoring the challenge facing finance minister Rachel Reeves in her first budget next week.