UK GDP growth rises 0.5% as annual rate slows to three-year low

Manufacturing and construction sectors falter as Brexit fears, market turmoil, China slowdown and falling oil price prompt cloud economic outlook

Britain's economy picked up pace at the end of 2015 but GDP growth for the year as a whole was down markedly, as both the manufacturing and construction sectors struggled with an uncertain outlook.

Official figures published on Thursday showed GDP expanded 0.5% in final three months of 2015, up from 0.4% growth in the previous quarter and in line with the consensus forecast in a Reuters poll of economists. On a year earlier, GDP was up 1.9%, after growing an annual 2.1% in the third quarter. This latest quarter marks the slowest annual expansion rate since early 2013.

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0.5% growth in #GDP in Q4, up from 0.4% in Q3 https://t.co/HtgUwDgHly

Latest stats show economy grew at 0.5%. Shows UK continues to grow steadily & despite turbulence in global economy we're pushing ahead