The UK economy finally shook off its summer slump, as latest figures show GDP rose by 0.2% in August after two months of stagnation—just in time for Rachel Reeves’ pre-budget spin. The ONS confirmed what City experts predicted: the economy is crawling along, though at least it’s not quite flatlining anymore….

Still, Britain’s services sector, the backbone of the economy, barely moved, ticking up by just 0.1%, with a boost from professional and scientific industries. More interestingly, the struggling production sector—led by manufacturing—saw a 0.5% lift, recovering from a dismal 0.7% drop in July. Even construction rebounded with a 0.4% rise after a dip the previous month. Some good news for ‘gloom and doom’ Reeves…

New quarterly National Accounts figures from the Office for National Statistics won’t make happy reading for Reeves and Starmer. Signs that the economy’s recovery is grinding to a halt keep popping up…

GDP growth in the second quarter of 2024 has now been revised down to 0.5% from 0.6%, against economists’ expectations. Economic output flatlined for the third time in four months as consumer confidence dives ahead of Reeves’ tax-raising October Budget. Meanwhile GDP growth for the whole of 2023 is revised up from 0.1% to 0.3%. This revision is another spanner in the works for Starmer’s stated mission of getting growth to 2.5%. At least it isn’t falling as fast as his popularity…

ONS figures released today show Britain’s economy flatlined for the second consecutive month, its first under the new Labour government. Farewell to the economy “going gangbusters” under the Tories…

GDP growth had been expected to hit 0.2% in July, having fallen to 0% in June  from 0.4% in May. Grim numbers compared to the first three months of the year with Sunak, where GDP expanded 0.7%. Labour’s ‘party for growth’ not going too well…

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show GDP rose 0.6% in the second quarter, following a 0.7% uptick in the first. Growth was led by services which outstripped shrinkage in construction and production…

Rachel Reeves issues the same tired line: “We are under no illusion as to the scale of the challenge we have inherited from the Conservatives after more than a decade of low growth and a £22 billion black hole in the public finances.” Unconditional pay hikes for the unproductive public sector seems a strange way to fix that black hole…

Hunt says the figures “are yet further proof that Labour have inherited a growing and resilient economy“. Crickets from Sunak as usual…

New figures from the Office For National Statistics will make happy reading for Rachel Reeves. After no growth at all in April, GDP ticked up by 0.4% in May, and 0.9% in the three months to May. Alive and kicking construction output is driving the increase, with production and services in the green as well…

Don’t expect to hear Reeves thanking the last government for this one today. A new edition in the “Why Didn’t Sunak Wait To Call The Election” series…

It’s happy news for Sunak and Hunt as new figures from the Office for National Statistics show that GDP grew by 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2024, after two quarterly contractions. Confirming the recession was short…

Hunt is on the airwaves this morning celebrating the news and touts that UK growth is predicted by the IMF to beat France, Italy, Germany, and Japan. What the Tories need now is an interest rate cut…