Responding to today’s (Friday) GDP figures, showing that despite November’s rise GDP is down 0.2% in the three months to November (including manufacturing down 1.9%, construction down 0.6% and services flat at 0.0%), TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“This year begins with another set of dismal growth figures.

“The Conservatives’ economic failures are hitting jobs and living standards and starving our crumbling public services of much-needed funding.

“Despite being in power for 14 years, the Tories still don’t have a proper economic plan for getting us out of the mess they have created. They have turned the UK in a stagnation nation.”