UK economy ekes out modest growth in final quarter of 2024 after strong December

The British economy managed to eke out quarterly growth of 0.1% in the final quarter of 2024 following a stronger than anticipated performance in December. The Office for National Statistics said Thursday that the 0.4% expansion in December was a result of a broad-based expansion, with pubs doing particularly well leading up to Christmas. The fourth quarter figures means the economy grew by 0.9% overall in 2024. The quarterly increase followed no growth in the previous three months and may ease some of the pressure on Treasury chief Rachel Reeves, who critics say has been partly responsible for the economic slowdown since Labour returned to power in July.