It was possibly a sign of the depth and ferocity of the
recession that there has been such reluctance to acknowledge that
things might just, with a fair wind, be on the up. It's only
recently that most commentators have broadly agreed that, with a
few remaining caveats, the economy seems to be slowly but surely
getting to a healthier place.
The nervousness is understandable. Even for those who have lived
through previous recessions, the 2008-2013 downturn will be one to
be studied by economics students for decades to come. However, the
spectre of another recession has been kept at bay for long enough
now that it is no longer restraining businesses' growth
ambitions.
Our most recent
CFO survey, which each quarter canvasses the sentiment of
senior finance professionals across UK business, revealed that only
16 per cent think the UK is at risk of falling back into recession,
down from 40 per cent a year ago. This confidence coincides with
the news that 80 per cent –
