UK economy flat for second consecutive month

Britain’s economy stagnated for a second month running in July as manufacturing output dropped sharply, an inauspicious start for the new government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer who wants to accelerate the pace of growth.

Economic output showed no change in month-on-month terms in July, as it did in June, data from the Office for National Statistics showed this week.

A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a 0.2 per cent month-on-month expansion of gross domestic product.