by Adrian Roberts
Britain's economic recovery slowed in the second quarter of 2011 after official figures estimating GDP growth of 0.2 per cent were unrevised today.
The downturn, which followed the biggest fall in activity for manufacturing and other production industries in two years, was down on the 0.5 per cent increase in the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The ONS has already said that a number of seasonal factors, such as the royal wedding and the unusually hot spring clouded the picture, and real growth could be up to 0.5 percentage points higher as a result.
The figures mean that Britain's output has grown 0.7 per cent year on year as it struggles to gain momentum following the recession and amid the government's cuts.
Unison union leader Dave Prentis warned that the time had come for the government to change tack on its failing economic policies "or risk plunging the country into a double-dip recession.
"The public and private sector are under the cosh because of the government's spending cuts and the situation is set to get worse," he said.
"The cycle of cuts is starting all over again for next year. Local councils are looking at axing more services and more jobs - no wonder consumer confidence is zero.
"Council and NHS workers are being hit by a pay freeze and are fearful of their jobs and are simply not spending.
"On top of that, the 2.49 million people unemployed do not have money to spend in their local shops and businesses.
"How long is the government going to wait before they realise that cutting hard and fast is not the way to dig this country out of the financial mire?"
RMT union leader Bob Crow said: "We stand on the brink of a double-dip recession while George Osborne, Vince Cable and the Cabinet stand idly by and allow thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs linked to the Bombardier train building plant in Derby to be killed off by their sheer impotence and ineptitude.
"British people face the prospect of the worst living standards since the end of rationing and as RMT has proved it is only fighting and militant trade unionism that can defend workers from the assault on jobs and wages."
Source: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk
Britain's economic recovery slowed in the second quarter of 2011 after official figures estimating GDP growth of 0.2 per cent were unrevised today.
The downturn, which followed the biggest fall in activity for manufacturing and other production industries in two years, was down on the 0.5 per cent increase in the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The ONS has already said that a number of seasonal factors, such as the royal wedding and the unusually hot spring clouded the picture, and real growth could be up to 0.5 percentage points higher as a result.
The figures mean that Britain's output has grown 0.7 per cent year on year as it struggles to gain momentum following the recession and amid the government's cuts.
Unison union leader Dave Prentis warned that the time had come for the government to change tack on its failing economic policies "or risk plunging the country into a double-dip recession.
"The public and private sector are under the cosh because of the government's spending cuts and the situation is set to get worse," he said.
"The cycle of cuts is starting all over again for next year. Local councils are looking at axing more services and more jobs - no wonder consumer confidence is zero.
"Council and NHS workers are being hit by a pay freeze and are fearful of their jobs and are simply not spending.
"On top of that, the 2.49 million people unemployed do not have money to spend in their local shops and businesses.
"How long is the government going to wait before they realise that cutting hard and fast is not the way to dig this country out of the financial mire?"
RMT union leader Bob Crow said: "We stand on the brink of a double-dip recession while George Osborne, Vince Cable and the Cabinet stand idly by and allow thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs linked to the Bombardier train building plant in Derby to be killed off by their sheer impotence and ineptitude.
"British people face the prospect of the worst living standards since the end of rationing and as RMT has proved it is only fighting and militant trade unionism that can defend workers from the assault on jobs and wages."
Source: http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk
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