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UK economic growth stalled in April in a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as he attempts to reboot a faltering election campaign.
The zero growth for the month marked a slowdown from the 0.4 per cent expansion in March, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.
But the figure was in line with forecasts from economists polled by Reuters, as the wettest April for more than a decade hit the services sector and construction.
In his campaign appearances ahead of the snap July 4 election, Sunak has frequently cited Britain’s first-quarter growth of 0.6 per cent, which ended a brief technical recession, as a sign of the country’s economic strength.
The prime minister has sought to persuade voters that the UK is enjoying “gangbusters” growth — a word he ascribed to the ONS, but which the statistics agency said was not intended as a comment about the overall state of the economy.
The Conservatives remain about 20 percentage points behind the opposition Labour party in opinion polls.
Economists said output was still likely to grow over the second quarter as a whole, as strong wage growth, lower inflation and drier weather helps consumption bounce back.
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