UK manufacturing in healthy shape despite election uncertainty

Factories increase ouput and recruitment, according to purchasing managers' index, with weak pound helping exporters

Britain's manufacturers stepped up production and hiring last month to keep pace with strong demand from home and abroad.

The closely watched poll of factory sentiment came in just ahead of City economists' expectations and suggested firms were shrugging off any uncertainty created by the general election. However, the responses from about 600 companies were collected between 12 and 25 May - before opinion polls started to show a significant narrowing in the Conservatives' lead.