UK business optimism hits five-year high, so why has London slipped? Life is slowly returning to the city centre of London, however business optimism in the capital dipped in May after a buzz of excitement of reopening in April (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images) Economic optimsim across the UK has reached its highest level in five years, but for some London businesses the buzz of reopening has died down. Optimism nationally regarding the economy climbed five points to 37 per cent, in the Lloyds Bank Business Barometer, the highest since 2016, while firms’ trading prospects rose three percentage points to 28 per cent.