Britain’s economy shrank far more sharply than expected in April as car factory closures planned in case of a no-deal Brexit took their toll.
The economy contracted by 0.4 per cent between March and April, the second monthly fall in a row and much worse than economists had expected, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Within that, the manufacturing sector collapsed by 3.9 per cent, led by a 24 per cent drop vehicle production output, a sector that accounts for 1.5 per cent of GDP. It was the largest fall in vehicle production since records began in 1995.
Economists said that they had expected the second quarter to slow after solid 0.5 per cent growth in January to March but that the…
