'Notable slowdown' in UK economy


The economy has experienced a notable slowdown in the first half of this year the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.


UK gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to have increased by 0.3% during the second quarter of the year compared with previous quarter — up from the 0.2% quarterly growth posted in the first. 


The growth in the second quarter was driven by services, which grew by 0.5% compared with 0.1% in first, the preliminary estimates show.


Manufacturing and construction were a brake on growth, with manufacturing down by 0.5% and construction by 0.9%.


GDP in the second quarter of 2017 was 1.7% higher than the same quarter 2016 — down on the 2.0% growth between the first quarter 2017 and 2016.


www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/grossdomesticproductpreliminaryestimate/aprtojune2017