UK economy grew by 0.6% in final quarter of 2017, says thinktank

Longest period of rising manufacturing output in 23 years contributed to fastest growth rate since late 2016, Niesr estimates

The longest spell of rising output from Britain's factories in 23 years has left the economy on course to record its fastest rate of growth since late 2016, one of the country's leading thinktanks has forecast.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research said it was pencilling in expansion in gross domestic product of 0.6% in the final quarter of 2017, up from 0.4% in the previous three months and above the latest City estimates.