Britain’s economy expanded more strongly than anticipated in November, offering a welcome boost to the Labour government following a run of weaker economic indicators.
Official figures released on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.3 per cent in November compared with the previous month, outperforming analysts’ expectations of a 0.1 per cent increase.
The ONS also confirmed that GDP had contracted by 0.1 percent in October, while September had recorded modest growth after an earlier estimate had pointed to a slight decline.
According to the ONS, economic performance over the three months from September to November was driven largely by the services sector.
“The services sector led growth in the three months to November,” said Liz McKeown, Director of Economic Statistics at the ONS.
Reacting to the data, a Treasury spokesperson welcomed the rebound but cautioned that further efforts were required to sustain momentum.
“There is more to do to boost growth while keeping inflation low and stable, tackling the cost of living, and bringing our borrowing costs down,” the spokesperson said.
The November figures represent the first major official snapshot of the UK economy this year and come ahead of key labour market and inflation data scheduled for release next week, which are expected to provide further insight into the country’s economic outlook.
