LONDON, April 2 (Reuters) – British business confidence has fallen as the Iran war exacerbates worries among employers about costs, according to a survey of accountants that chimed with similar concerns from other groups since the start of the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales said on Thursday that its quarterly Business Confidence Monitor had been on course to turn positive for the first time since 2024 over the first three months of 2026.
But it fell from +2.8 on the eve of the conflict to -1.1 by the end of the 10-week survey on March 16.
“The first quarter was a tale of two halves for the UK economy as the early-year optimism was dramatically snuffed out as the Middle East conflict refuelled fears over skyrocketing cost pressures and wider economic conditions,” Suren Thiru, chief economist at the ICAEW, said.
Below are other key points from the survey:
(Reporting by Suban Abdulla)
