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Sterling Ignores Politics for Best Week vs Euro since May

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) - Britain's pound was a touch firmer against a broadly softer dollar on Friday and was set to ​end a week that saw Keir Starmer resign as ‌UK prime minister with its best weekly showing against the euro in over five weeks.

Sterling rose around 0.2% to $1.3219 as the dollar edged ​down against all major currencies after a strong ​performance this week.

It was little changed at around 86.26 ⁠pence per euro , having traded at its best levels ​in almost a year earlier in the week and adding ​about 0.5% against the euro during the period.

Analysts say the currency has proved stable in the face of renewed political uncertainty in ​Britain, which is poised to get its seventh prime ​minister in 10 years. This is because of signs of a smooth ‌transition ⁠in leadership and reassuring signals from Andy Burnham - the only declared candidate to replace Starmer - that UK's fiscal rules will be respected.

"We are in the kind of environment where markets are open ​to a ​change in UK ⁠prime minister," said Lloyds currency strategist Nick Kennedy.

"He (Burnham) doesn't have a defined agenda yet and ​markets assume he has learnt from his ​earlier words ⁠on bond markets, so sterling is in a good place."

In the last year, Burnham has criticised the government for "being in hock ⁠to ​the bond markets" in comments he ​has since said have been misrepresented.

Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe; Editing by Jonathan Ananda

Source: Reuters


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