UK economic growth reaches 0.5% but slowdown fears persist

Business spending fell at sharpest pace for two years in final quarter, compounding anxiety about unstable recovery

The UK economy grew by a solid 0.5% in the final quarter of 2015, official figures have confirmed, but news of a surprise drop in business spending fanned fears of a slowdown in the months ahead.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Thursday left estimates for GDP growth unrevised. But fresh details on what was driving the economy underscored the precarious nature of the recovery and raised questions about whether its pace is sustainable.

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