UK economy grew by better-than-expected 0.3% in November despite budget uncertainty

ONS says GDP expanded in news that is unlikely to deter Bank of England from making more interest rate cuts

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The UK economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 0.3% in November despite uncertainty around the chancellor Rachel Reeves’s budget, official figures show.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday showed the improvement, up from a 0.1% fall in October.

Forecasters had expected a more modest 0.1% expansion. The better-than-expected data will be good news for Reeves, who hopes an economic turnaround will help Labour’s fortunes.