UK Chancellor Healey calls surprise August growth a sign of resilience

Chancellor John Healey called the UK economy's 0.1% growth in August a "sign of resilience," defying analysts' forecasts of a slight contraction. This follows an upgrade to the UK economy's forecast by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this week, with the economy growing 0.7% over the three months to August. The growth was boosted by increased production, including manufacturing, oil and gas extraction, and energy supply, while the services industry was flat and construction contracted. Healey promised to provide "a bit of breathing space from the cost of living and cost of business pressures" in the Budget in two weeks.