The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that April’s growth was nil, as opposed to the 0.4% growth rate observed in March.
The economy is expected to grow, which makes the election’s timing even more odd.
The most costly area in the UK to purchase a property by the sea
The final ONS GDP (gross domestic product) report before the election stated that April rainfall in the UK was 155% of the long-term average.
The crunchers reported that, as a result, construction output fell by 1.4%, partly due to low demand.
Production declined by 0.9% while the services sector, which generates more than 80% of the UK’s total output, grew by just 0.2%.
Even with the focus on the impact of rain, the figures indicate a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s main electoral claim—that the economy is rebounding from the double blow of the COVID-19 outbreak and the rising cost of living.
After 0.6% growth in the first quarter of this year, the UK emerged from a brief recession by the end of 2023.
