UK construction sector output declined for the third month running in July, reflecting lower volumes of work across all three broad categories of activity. The latest survey also revealed a sharp drop in new order intakes, which survey respondents mainly attributed to subdued economic conditions and domestic political uncertainty. Weaker demand contributed to a slide in business optimism towards the year-ahead outlook for construction activity, with the degree of confidence the lowest since November 2012. At 45.3 in July, the headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/ CIPS UK Construction Total Activity Index posted ... (full story)