Chris Leslie MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to GDP figures, said:

“UK growth needs to be stronger than this to withstand mounting instability from Europe, China and the world economy.

“Today’s figures show we need a more balanced recovery, with construction output weak for the past nine months.

“The OBR has revised down productivity next year and for three years after that. Manufacturing is down by 0.3 per cent and the Government is on course to miss its exports target by hundreds of billions of pounds.

“The Chancellor is complacent at a time when he should take action to support exporters and strengthen Britain’s infrastructure. Pulling the plug on major rail electrification and hitting households next April with a work penalty in the tax credit system are the wrong choices for the long term.”