UK manufacturing growth drops to eight-month low

Uncertainty over Brexit and strengthening pound hitting British factories, survey shows

Britain's factories suffered a slowdown in growth to an eight-month low last month as manufacturers were hit by the twin headwinds of Brexit uncertainty and a stronger pound.

The IHS Markit/CIPS survey showed that manufacturing output remained robust and above the historic average, but the purchasing manager's index (PMI) that measures activity across the sector slipped to 55.2 in February, its second-lowest reading since the June 2016 Brexit vote. A figure above 50 indicates growth.