British business activity bounces back in July amid brief Iran war respite

British firms reported the first rise in activity in three months in July, helped ‌by a brief respite in the Iran war, while consumers grew in confidence and spent more, according to data that may only offer only a short-lived boost to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The S&P Global UK Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index, which gives a snapshot of businesses, rose to 52.1 in July from 49.3 in June, according to a preliminary ​estimate....